Coca-Cola reveals who it funds in England—organizations, researchers, other individuals
Last Friday, Coca-Cola UK joined its US counterpart in revealing the names of the organizations, researchers, and individuals it funds and the amounts it pays for these services.
As Jon Woods, General Manager of Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland, explains:
Earlier this year, my colleagues in the US published a list of the health and wellbeing partnerships, research and individuals funded there, dating back to 2010. In October, I committed to do the same and today we have published the details of what we have funded in Great Britain. I believe this is the right thing to do…The total amount of funding we have provided in GB since 2010 is £9,328,095.
Like the US list, which has been analyzed extensively by Ninjas for Health, this one is interesting to read.
Here is a small sample from the list of organizations:
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council — £20,000
- British Dietetic Association — £5,600
- British Feeding & Drinking Group Annual Meeting — £1,200
- British Nutrition Foundation — £33,000
A sample from the list of scientists and other individuals (not otherwise identified, alas):
- Fiona Hunter
- Prof. Ken Fox
- Lynne Garton
- Dr. Geoffrey Livesey
- Dr. Sigrid Gibson
- Dr. David Haslam
- Prof. Marion Hetherington
- Penny Hunking
- Angie Jefferson
- Prof. Ian Macdonald
I’m sure British public health advocates will have fun looking up what these people have said about sugary drinks and obesity.
The Times of London explained who some of them are:
The advisers include Stuart Biddle, of Loughborough University, who was chairman of a health department group on obesity in 2010; Alan Boobis, a director at Public Health England, who stopped receiving funding in 2013; Ken Fox, who advised the government on obesity in 2009; and Carrie Ruxton, now on the board of Food Standards Scotland. In 2010 Dr Ruxton co-wrote a study sponsored by the UK Sugar Bureau, an industry group, that found no proven association between sugar intake and obesity.
According to Der Spiegel, Coca-Cola plans to reveal everyone it sponsors in Europe. All of this is further fallout from August’s New York Times’ revelations of Coca-Cola sponsorship of the now defunct Global Energy Balance Network.
More to come, no doubt. Stay tuned.
