British Nutrition Foundation

This article is part of the Foodspin project of Spinwatch.

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) is the key food industry front group in the UK. The BNF promotes itself as a source of impartial information, but it does not always make its links with industry clear.

The BNF claims to promote 'the nutritional wellbeing of society through the impartial interpretation and effective dissemination of scientifically based nutritional knowledge and advice'.

It works in partnership with academic and research institutes, the food industry, educators and government. The Foundation influences all in the food chain, government, the professions and the media. The Foundation is a charitable organisation which raises funds from the food industry, government and a variety of other sources.

The BNF website contains a 'links' page to 'member companies', but there is no indication that they fund it or how much they pay.

2010: Hosting conference on sweeteners

In April 2010 the British Nutrition Foundation hosted a one day conference at the Royal Society headquarters looking at the science of low calorie sweeteners and aimed at "separating fact from fiction."

The event’s promotional web page contained all the key messages that the foundation uses about itself: it is objective and evidence based, is about how to use products appropriately, promotes consumer choice, and appeals to all those engaged in food and public health policy.

The web page didn’t say, though the information is elsewhere on the foundation’s website, that the foundation is financially supported by Tate & Lyle, British Sugar, Ajinomoto (which makes AminoSweet), and McNeil Consumer Nutritionals (which makes Splenda sweetener). One of the participants in the panel discussion was Tom Sanders, head of the nutritional sciences department at King’s College London, which has received millions from sugar company Tate & Lyle.

Drinks firms not mentioned

In February 2010 the BNF put out a press release, "Dehydration linked to winter blues?" saying people could shake off the winter blues by drinking more fluids. It didn’t say that funders include Danone (producers of Evian, Volvic, and Badoit bottled water), Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Innocent drinks, Twinings, Nestlé, and various yoghurt drink manufacturers, although a footnote at the end does mention the food industry as one of the foundation’s funding sources.

Funding and independence

For public health and food policy campaigners this merry go round of donation, publicity, and influence has been a source of concern since the foundation was formed more than 40 years ago. However, in the tightly knit world of nutrition, where people in food companies, non-governmental organisations, academia, and the government know each other and often have to work together, few wish to voice such criticism publicly. The amount of food industry money making the rounds means few researchers haven’t taken funds, and most would say that this has not compromised their scientific independence.

Joe Harvey, from the Health Education Trust, a charity promoting the development of health education for young people in the UK, offers a contrary view:

In my opinion organisations like the British Nutrition Foundation, which want to be seen as offering independent advice and materials, should avoid donations from the food industry or be much more up front about them so the public are aware of the involvement ... At best it is naive to take industry money and believe there is no quid pro quo. At the very least food companies are able to use such donations to clean up their public image and give themselves enhanced credibility."

The British Nutrition Foundation says it "promotes the wellbeing of society through the impartial interpretation and effective dissemination of scientifically based knowledge and advice on the relationship between diet, physical activity and health." This perception of independence and scientific rigour is crucial because it allows the foundation to weave strong links with the government and present itself as a disinterested commentator to the media.

The fact is that the organisation’s membership is a roll call of food industry stalwarts. As at March 2010, the 39 members include producers such as Cadbury’s, Kellogg’s and Northern Foods, restaurant chains such as McDonalds and PizzaExpress, all the main supermarket chains apart from Tesco, and industry bodies such as the Potato Council.

The foundation emphasises that its funding comes from many different sources, though it is clear that industry support is vital. Paul Hebblethwaite, the chairman of the board of trustees, said in the 2008-9 annual report: "Their donations are of great importance to the foundation, and in particular support our charitable work with schools, consumers and health professionals."

Sara Stanner, the foundation’s science programme manager, says, "The donations we receive from food and drink companies are used at ‘arms length’ and in a generic sense to supplement the funding we secure from the other sources." She adds that, "Our ability to protect our independence is strengthened by this diversity in funding and centres on our strong governance . . . Strange as it may seem we are not pressurised, commercially or politically, to be selective in the repertoire of nutrition topics we address."

Revolving door

Many of the foundation’s staff move between the organisation and the food industry. Hebblethwaite has had "a distinguished career in the food industry working for a number of major companies including Cadbury Schweppes and Chivers-Hartley." He is also chairman of the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Trade Association. The organisation’s board of trustees and oversight committees contain many current employees of the food industry as well as academics from various institutions. Former foundation staff include Gill Fine, the Food Standards Agency’s director of consumer choice and dietary health, who previously worked for Sainsbury’s.

The BNF's Sara Stanner says, "Our view is that we are fortunate in attracting scientific staff of a very high calibre from all walks of human nutrition, which enriches the work we do and ensures we are able to provide a mature and balanced view on nutrition issues . . . . To ensure diversity in the expertise available among our Trustees, our Articles of Association state that not more than two of our Trustees (out of a total of 12) can be Industrial Governors (ie, from the food industry)."

History and exposure

Founded in 1967, the BNF has a long record of campaigning to defend the interests of the food industry. Its 2000-01 annual report lists of the largest food companies operating in the UK including some of the biggest transnational corporations such as Ajinomoto (makers of NutraSweet), British Sugar, Cadbury, Coca Cola, DuPont, Sainsbury's, Kellogg's, McDonald's, Nestle, Procter and Gamble, Roche, Tate & Lyle, Trebor Bassett, Unilever and Weetabix. The BNF declines to publish its membership fees but declares income of £662,503 in the year 2004-2005 from 'Covenants, donations and memberships'. On average this would translate as around £19,500 for each member, an insignificant sum for such large companies.

The BNF was exposed by a World in Action documentary in 1985 when its Director General from 1982-4, Dr Derek Shrimpton appeared, revealing that it was unable to pursue an independent line on nutrition policy: 'In the period I was there the BNF was solely taken up with defensive actions for the industry', he said. He revealed that it had conducted a long struggle to undermine successive government committees which were trying to recommend reductions in the consumption of sugars, salt and fats. The BNF role was to try and 'kill' the NACNE Committee:

If it couldn't be killed it was best to be emasculated. And in all events the BNF must come out of this very white. At no time must the BNF's hand be seen in this… the tactic was to delay it and delay it again, so that everybody got fed up and at no point would it see the light of day. If that failed then it was to be published as low key as possible and no official support.

The BNF campaigning was so effective that the government report was suppressed and never implemented. The only defeat for the BNF was that the suppression was picked up in the media and caused a major political row - but no action. The follow up committee was jointly convened with the BNF and its report too was suppressed. This was a factor in the later abolition of the Health Education Council by the Thatcher government and its replacement with a quango less threatening to industry interests. Even this organisation became too threatening to the government over the issues of HIV and AIDS and it was closed and absorbed into the NHS.

The appearance of independence convinces many. BNF officials and associated scientists sit on government committees and according to the BNF annual report 2001 the organisation 'is increasingly asked to check copy by magazines' - the kind of public credibility that corporations crave.

Its industrial sponsors include:

• Tesco's Own Brand | British Sugar | Cadbury | Coca-Cola | Kelloggs | Masterfoods (Mars) | McDonalds | Nestle | Procter & Gamble | Tate & Lyle | United Biscuits.

Educational role

The BNF has produced briefings on several topics, including salt and diet, food additives and children's behaviour. They also have a dedicated education section. The education section contains information packs and recipes for primary and secondary school pupils.

The education section is produced in conjunction with

• Meat and Education
• British Potato Council
• Horticultural Development Council
• Home Grown Cereals Authority
• Milk Development Council
• All Saints Educational Trust

The section also received assistance from British Sugar plc, Cadbury Schweppes, H J Heinz, Kellogg Company of Great Britain, Kraft Foods UK, Meat & Livestock Commission, Nestlé UK Ltd, RHM Technology Limited, Ryvita Company, Tate & Lyle Sugar, Unilever.

Members of the BNF are served though regular briefings and invitation-only conferences as well as being able to draw on the foundation as a resource for literature, advice, and third party endorsement.

For instance, the foundation contributed to arms length industry initiatives such as PhunkyFoods, a programme to promote healthy eating and physical activity among under 11s. PhunkyFoods is a wholly owned subsidiary of the private nutrition consultancy Purely Nutrition, and the programme is funded by Nestlé, Northern Foods, and Cargill. According to Northern Foods, the foundation contributed to the campaign’s teaching materials for schools.

The foundation’s website is also used by food companies who need to direct readers to what they can say is an independent source of information. Kraft has a healthy living website with a section on nutrition and useful links. The foundation is the top link, but nowhere is it mentioned that Kraft has been a financial supporter since at least 2004.

The government has contracted the foundation to produce educational materials. These include the Licence To Cook website for the Department for Children, Schools, and Families (http://www.licencetocook.org.uk), a recipe book for year 7 (11-12 year old) pupils, educating teachers about food technology, and a contract from the Food Standards Agency to help young people "engage with the core food competences". Companies have been happy to fund these government projects through the foundation.

Tim Lobstein, director of policy and programmes at the International Association for the Study of Obesity - International Obesity Task Force, said the organisation had produced several educational resources in the past that seemed to support industry messages. The foundation "did a big piece of work for the Food Standards Agency reviewing ‘influences on consumer food choices’ which conveniently left out any review of the influence of marketing and advertising techniques," he said.

Oliver Tickell, from the Campaign Against Trans Fats in Food, looked at the documents the foundation had produced on his area of interest and came to a similar conclusion.

"The first is a briefing sheet and is very balanced," he said. "The other is a submission to the Scottish parliament on a bill to limit trans fats, and essentially it says to do nothing." Tickell says that this view coincides with that of the food industry, which doesn’t want to see regulation.

Omega 3

Fish oils are big business. And is a field of wook in which the BNF is heavily involved. It is claimed that Omega 3 improves intelligence especially in children. The market for such supplements is around £116 million per annum in the UK. This is despite the lack of any scientific evident that omega 3 improves brain function. What trials have taken place have involved children with specific difficulties: ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Dr Alex Richardson, a senior research fellow at Oxford University and an authority on nutrition and the brain is sceptical about the claims and feels that commercial companies have hijacked the results of what testing has been carried out. In one example, Equazen - the manufacturer of eye q fish-oil supplements - was approached by Durham LEA and asked if it would donate £1m-worth of capsules to be given to 5,000 school-age children in the run-up to their GCSEs. Their performance will be measured against what it might theoretically have been without the omega 3. Again, there is no control group, no placebo and no double-blind component. Despite such flaws, these 'trials' were widely reported, invariably mentioning the eye q brand and declaring fish oil a wonder supplement. In December last year, Equazen was sold to the Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Galenica, making a reported £10m-£20m for its chief executive Adam Kelliher. Frost & Sullivan, the global research consultancy, estimates that the market for omega-3 products will grow by around 8% per annum until 2010. Datamonitor, another research company, identifies it as one of the 'big four' health-and-wellness trends in the packaged-food industry next year. At the present time, 25 European governments, including the UK's, are funding the Lipgene project - a five-year study examining ways of modifying foods to contain more omega 3. The British Nutrition Foundation is a partner in the Lipgene project. 'They're looking at foods we commonly consume, such as meat, milk and yoghurt,' says Dr Joanne Lunn of the BNF. 'That way, we won't have to make huge dietary shifts because, if you tell people to eat more oily fish, they won't.' Genes from long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (specifically the EPA and DHA types found in oily fish and seafood, the easiest for the body to use) are being inserted into rapeseed, a crop used in cereal feed for livestock; trials are also underway with chicken.

Salt

The BNF has been actively involved in a number of initiatives within the food industry to raise awareness of high salt content foods and reduce people's unhealthy level of salt in their diets. They have been actively involved with the Consensus Action on Salt & Health (CASH). CASH is a group of specialists concerned with salt and its effects on health. It is successfully working to reach a consensus with the food industry and Government over the harmful effects of a high salt diet, and bring about a reduction in the amount of salt in processed foods as well as salt added to cooking, and the table .

The BNF has also been involved with initiatives set up by the Food Standards Agency which recommends that an adult diet should contain no more than 6 grams of salt per day. The Food Standards Agency has engaged with the BNF on the issue. On the Food Standards Agency campaign page for raising awareness of salt intake, the BNF is quoted as saying:

Individuals are responsible for their own health. However, without clear and accurate labelling, it is hard for the public to make healthy choices and keep track of their daily salt intake. The British Nutrition Foundation supports the FSA's campaign to remind the public of the 6g per day target and to emphasise the need to check the amount of salt in the foods that we buy.

The campaign is also supported by other public health bodies, industry groups and organisations, including some leading brand manufacturers. Some of these include:

• Department of Health
• Food & Drink Federation
• Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers (ACFM)
• British Medical Association (BMA)
• Marks & Spencer
• Nestle
• Sainsburys

According to the health charity CASH (Consensus Action on Salt & Health) newsletter of Winter 2009, the BNF had been working in conjunction with Wagamama to reduce the salt content in their ready meals. CASH said Wagamama had reduced the salt content in children's meals and trialled a 20% salt reduction of the adult ramen dishes. This followed an announcement by CASH that it had tested meals served in high street restaurants for salt content and found that salt levels were dangerously high.

Influence

The BNF's presence in Whitehall brings influence, and the foundation is overt about this, saying: "Through active engagement with government, schools, industry, health professionals and journalists, we also aim to provide advice to help shape and support policy and to facilitate improvement in the diet and physical activity patterns of the population."

In the foundation’s annual report 2008-9, the BNF's Sara Stanner adds: "Some of our work has a direct effect on policy. For example, the Science Group carried out a systematic review of the effects of early life exposure to peanuts on risk of allergy, for the Food Standards Agency, the findings of which are feeding through to policy.

However, historically, such influence has been far from benign. A World in Action documentary from 1985 quoted previous director general, Derek Shrimpton, as saying: "In the period I was there the foundation was solely taken up with defence actions for the industry." He said that the foundation had been constantly engaged in frustrating government committees aiming to recommend reductions in sugars, salt, and fats.

Meanwhile Sara Stanner can also be found on a Sainsbury’s website aimed at the parents of young children, where she is a resident expert on diet and nutrition. The website does not mention that Sainsbury’s funds the foundation.

The foundation sees its communication role as key and aims to provide swift and expert advice to journalists, who often are not medical reporters but cover issues from a consumer point of view. In this it has carved a successful niche for itself.

Several independent listing services aimed at patients and consumers, including Patient UK and netdoctor, repeat the group’s own description without mentioning its industry links.

Meanwhile when it is quoted in the media it is most commonly without any other description. A LexisNexis search for British Nutrition Foundation references in UK newspapers in the past year returned 128 references. Only two mentioned that the foundation had industry funding.

Sara Stanner says "If we engage in any piece of project work that involves support from one of our member companies (or any other industry link), we always clearly acknowledge this. In our experience, most people that we talk to are aware that we get funding from different sources, including industry and government."

But typical of the reporting was an article in the Independent when McDonalds said it was going to publish the nutritional content of its meals. The newspaper asked the foundation to assess popular takeaway meals, including that of McDonalds, which was given the worst health rating. The article did not mention that McDonalds funds the foundation.

Joanne Lunn, then a nutrition scientist at the foundation, was quoted by the paper saying: "These are large portions and it is not recommended that you eat high-fat meals such as these regularly. You should remember the adage, ‘There is no such thing as a bad food, only a bad diet.’"

The media seek out the British Nutrition Foundation as a ready source of authoritative comment on matters of nutrition and wider food policy. In return the foundation swiftly delivers succinct analysis in a language that suits its audience and does not offend either its partners in Whitehall or its paymasters in the food industry. It is a relationship that shows every sign of continuing.

BNF member companies

From the BNF website: 3663 | Ajinomoto/NutraSweet Switzerland AG | Alpro UK Limited (Provamel) | Asda Stores Ltd | Associated British Foods plc | Bernard Matthews PLC | Belovo Brake Bros Ltd | British Potato Council | British Sugar plc * | Cadbury-Schweppes* | Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland | Dairy Crest Limited | DSM Nutritional Products Europe Ltd | H J Heinz Ltd* | Hero AG | Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) | Innocent drinks | J Sainsbury plc | Kellogg Company of Great Britain Limited | Kerry Foods Ltd | Kraft Foods UK Ltd* | Lighter Life | Marks and Spencer plc | Masterfoods | McDonald's Restaurants Ltd | McNeil Nutritionals Ltd | Meat & Livestock Commission * | nabim | National Starch | Nestle UK Ltd * | Northern Foods plc | Novotel London West | Nutricia Ltd | Orafti | Ovaltine | PepsiCo UK Ltd | Pizza Express | Potato Council | Procter & Gamble Limited | R Twinings & Co Ltd | RHM Technology Limited* | Sea Fish Industry Authority | Slimming World | Tate & Lyle Sugars* | Tetra Pak Ltd | The Co Operative Group Ltd | The Dairy Council | The Ryvita Company * | Unilever * | United Biscuits (UK) Limited | Waitrose Ltd | Weetabix Limited * | Wm Morrisons Supermarkets plc | Wyeth Consumer Healthcare | Yakult UK Ltd | Yoplait Dairy Crest Ltd

People

Chairman of Council

• Mr. J.W. Sutcliffe, Chief Executive, Grocery, Associated British Foods Plc

Scientific Governors

• Professor S.A. Bingham, BSc MA PhD FMedSci Deputy Director, MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge

• Professor J. Blundell, BSc PhD CPsychol FBPsS Department of Psychology, University of Leeds

• Professor A. de Looy, BSc PhD SRD Professor of Dietetics, Plymouth University

• Professor K. Fox, PhD Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Bristol

• Professor C.J.K. Henry BSc MSc PhD, Principal Lecturer Oxford Brookes University School of Biology

• Professor A.A. Jackson, MA MD FRCP Professor of Human Nutrition, School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton

• Professor M. B. E. Livingstone, BEd MSc DPhil RNutr Professor of Nutrition, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster

• Professor M.S. Losowsky, MD FRCP Emeritus Professor of Medicine, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds

• Professor A.D.B. Malcolm, MA DPhil CBiol FIBiol FIFST Chief Executive, Institute of Biology

• Professor J.C. Mathers, BSc PhD Professor of Human Nutrition and Director of the Human Nutrition Research Centre, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

• Professor T.A.B. Sanders, BSc PhD DSc Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics, King's College London University

• Professor C.M. Williams, BSc PhD Head of Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, University of Reading

Scientific Governors appointed by the Royal Society of London

• Professor M. Peaker, DSc FRSE FRS

Industrial Governors

• Mr. S. Barden, BSc MBA CEng

• Mr. M. Collyer, General Manager, Nutrition Business Unit, Nestlé UK Limited

• Mr. R.J. Fletcher, BSc Director, Scientific Affairs, Kelloggs Europe

• Mr. Paul Hebblethwaite, Group Technical Director, Cadbury Schweppes

• Miss A. Heughan, SRD Company Nutrition and Health Manager, Unilever Bestfoods UK

• Mr. J.W. Sutcliffe, BSc Chief Executive, Grocery, Associated British Foods plc, Chairman BNF

• Mr. G Weston, Managing Director, The Ryvita Company Limited

General Governors

• Mrs. S. J. Evans, Freelance writer and broadcaster

• Mr. R.A. Marsh, BSc MSc CSci FIFST Managing Director, Food Processing, Faraday Partnership

• Mr. Rob Rees, Director, The Country Elephant Ltd.

Ex-Officio Governors

Honorary President of Council:

• Professor Dame Barbara Clayton, DBE MD PhD HonDSc FRCP Honorary Research Professor in Metabolism, University of Southampton, Honorary President, The British Nutrition Foundation

Honorary Vice-Presidents of Council:

• Mr. I.G.T. Ferguson BSC CBE, Chief Executive, Tate & Lyle Sugars

• Professor A. Shenkin, BSc PhD FRCP FRCPath Professor of Clinical Chemistry, University of Liverpool

Honorary Treasurer:

• C.J. Hart, BSc MSc FIFST

• Members of the Board of Trustees

BNF Staff

• Professor Robert Pickard, Director-General

• Mr. Peter Leigh, Company Secretary

• Miss Stephanie Valentine, Education Director

• Professor Judith Buttriss, Science Director

• Mr. Roy Ballam, Senior Education Officer

• Ms. Sara Stanner, Senior Nutrition Scientist

• Miss Brigid McKevith, Senior Nutrition Scientist

• Dr. Sarah Schenker, Nutrition Scientist

• Miss Claire Theobald, Education Officer

• Ms. Claire Williamson, Nutrition Scientist

• Miss Rebecca Foster, Nutrition Scientist

• Dr. Joanne Lunn, Nutrition Scientist

• Miss Anna Denny, Nutrition Scientist

• Mr. Nicholas Baldwin, Administration Officer

• Miss Donna Baker, Education Secretary

• Mrs. Stephanie Hyman, Research Assistant

• Miss Helen Marriott, Research Assistant

• Miss Charlotte Musgrove, Research Assistant

• Miss Naomi Campbell, Research Assistant

Resources

• Phil Chamberlain, Competing Interests: Independence of nutritional information? The British Nutrition Foundation promotes itself as a source of impartial information, but as Phil Chamberlain reports, it does not always make its links with industry clear, British Medical Journal, 22 March 2010
• Phil Chamberlain and Jeremy Laurance, Is the British Nutrition Foundation having its cake and eating it too? Group dedicated to healthy eating is partly funded by the food industry, The Independent, 22 March 2010
• John Yudkin, 'Attack is the best defence', Chapter 21 in Pure, White and Deadly, Penguin, 1988.
• Kath Dalmeny, 'Sugar Spin', The Ecologist, Date Published: 31 October 2003

Contact

British Nutrition Foundation,

High Holborn House, 52-54 High Holborn, London WC1V 6RQ, UK

Tel: 020 7404 6504

Fax: 020 7404 6747

Email: postbox@nutrition.org.uk