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Commentary

Funding Food Science and Nutrition Research: Financial Conflicts and Scientific Integrity^1–3,

⁴ SR Strategy LLC, Washington, DC 20036; ⁵ University of Massachusetts, Food Science Policy Alliance, Amherst, MA 01003-9282; ⁶ Coca-Cola Company, Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Atlanta, GA 30313; ⁷ McMaster University, Department of Pediatrics, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada; ⁸ Kraft Foods Global, Inc., Glenview, IL 60025; ⁹ Frances Stern Nutrition Center, New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111; ¹⁰ International Life Sciences Institute North America, Washington, DC 20005-1743; ¹¹ PepsiCo, Inc., Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Valhalla, NY 10595; ¹² Utah State University, Center for Advanced Nutrition, Logan, UT 84322-4715; ¹³ Texas A&M University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College Station, TX 77843; ¹⁴ University of Maryland Center for Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Policy, College Park, MD 20742; ¹⁵ Cadbury Adams USA LLC, Science and Technology, Whippany, NJ 07981; ¹⁶ Purdue University, Department of Foods and Nutrition, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1264; and ¹⁷ Mars, Inc., McLean, VA 22101

There has been substantial public debate about the susceptibility of research to biases of various kinds. The dialogue has extended to the peer-reviewed literature, scientific conferences, the mass media, government advisory bodies, and beyond. While biases can come from myriad sources, the overwhelming focus of the discussion, to date, has been on industry-funded science. Given the critical role that industry has played and will continue to play in the research process, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) North America Working Group on Guiding Principles has, in this paper, set out proposed conflict-of-interest guidelines regarding industry funding for protecting the integrity and credibility of the scientific record, particularly with respect to health, nutrition, and food safety science. Eight principles are enumerated, specifying ground rules for industry-sponsored research. The paper, which issues a challenge to the broader scientific community to address all bias issues, is only a first step; the document is intended to be dynamic, prompting ongoing discussion and refinement.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ehentges{at}ilsi.org.

Manuscript received 16 February 2009. Initial review completed 17 March 2009. Revision accepted 31 March 2009.

Published online 29 April 2009.