68.
WHO 'Infiltrated By Food Industry'
Sarah Boseley, The Guardian, Thursday 9 January 2003
British newspaper, The Guardian reveals the extent to which companies will exert influence and political power:
The food industry has infiltrated the World Health Organisation, just as the tobacco industry did, and succeeded in exerting "undue influence" over policies intended to safeguard public health by limiting the amount of fat, sugar and salt we consume, according to a confidential report obtained by the Guardian.
The report, by an independent consultant to the WHO, finds that:
- food companies attempted to place scientists favourable to their views on WHO and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) committees.
- they financially supported nongovernmental organisations which were invited to formal discussions on key issues with the UN agencies.
- they financed research and policy groups that supported their views.
- they financed individuals who would promote "anti-regulation ideology" to the public, for instance in newspaper articles.
The food industry has infiltrated the World Health Organisation, just as the tobacco industry did, and succeeded in exerting "undue influence" over policies intended to safeguard public health by limiting the amount of fat, sugar and salt we consume, according to a confidential report obtained by the Guardian.
The report, by an independent consultant to the WHO, finds that:
- food companies attempted to place scientists favourable to their views on WHO and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) committees.
- they financially supported nongovernmental organisations which were invited to formal discussions on key issues with the UN agencies.
- they financed research and policy groups that supported their views.
- they financed individuals who would promote "anti-regulation ideology" to the public, for instance in newspaper articles.
“The easy movement of experts -toxicologists in particular - between private firms, universities, tobacco and food industries and international agencies creates the conditions for conflict of interest," says the report by Norbert Hirschhorn, a Connecticut-based public health academic who searched archives set up during litigation in the US for references to food companies owned or linked to the tobacco industry.
He finds that there is reasonable suspicion that undue influence was exerted "on specific WHO/FAO food policies dealing with dietary guidelines, pesticide use, additives, trans-fatty acids and sugar.
"The food industry is considerably engaged in genetically modified foods and the tobacco industry has studied the matter closely with respect to its product; there is evidence the tobacco industry planned also to influence the debate over biotechnology."
He finds that there is reasonable suspicion that undue influence was exerted "on specific WHO/FAO food policies dealing with dietary guidelines, pesticide use, additives, trans-fatty acids and sugar.
"The food industry is considerably engaged in genetically modified foods and the tobacco industry has studied the matter closely with respect to its product; there is evidence the tobacco industry planned also to influence the debate over biotechnology."
One should know, however, that all the necessities of life that the human society requires are supplied by the empowered agents of the Lord. No one can manufacture anything. Take, for example, all the eatables of human society. These eatables include grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, sugar, etc., for the persons in the mode of goodness, and also eatables for the nonvegetarians, like meats, none of which can be manufactured by men. Then again, take for example heat, light, water, air, etc., which are also necessities of life -- none of them can be manufactured by the human society. Without the Supreme Lord, there can be no profuse sunlight, moonlight, rainfall, breeze, etc., without which no one can live. Obviously, our life is dependent on supplies from the Lord. Even for our manufacturing enterprises, we require so many raw materials like metal, sulphur, mercury, manganese, and so many essentials -- all of which are supplied by the agents of the Lord, with the purpose that we should make proper use of them to keep ourselves fit and healthy for the purpose of self-realization, leading to the ultimate goal of life, namely, liberation from the material struggle for existence.
~ Srila Prabhupada (Bhagavad-gita 3.12)
The WHO and FAO need the scientific input of the food industry, says the report, but that input must be transparent and subject to open debate.
"One industry-led organisation, International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), has positioned its experts and expertise across the whole spectrum of food and tobacco policies: at conferences, on FAO/WHO food policy committees and within WHO, and with monographs, journals and technical briefs."
"One industry-led organisation, International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), has positioned its experts and expertise across the whole spectrum of food and tobacco policies: at conferences, on FAO/WHO food policy committees and within WHO, and with monographs, journals and technical briefs."
Stan Correy of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) comments, "the days of an apple-a-day to keep the doctor away are over, because the food companies have to move on from apples to make new profits. To give credibility to these new products, they use scientists, doctors and people from the legal professions to speak for them."
Fortunately, not all government officials have bowed to the interests of the food conglomerates. Dr Mark Lawrence of Australia's Deakin University, formerly head of the Australian Food Standards Committee, resigned from his post last September largely because of his concerns about the aggressive targeting of public officials and consumers by functional food promotions. "The Food Standards Committee is not able to be vigilant enough because it is dominated by food industry representatives," he said. "I found the situation untenable. I and the other public health nutritionists could not feel confident that public health was going to take precedence over other dimensions." Later, on Radio New Zealand, he explained that the Food Standards Committee was basically dominated by food industry interests, and that they were relaxing any kind of control over functional foods.
Last September, ABC devoted a full program to "The Twilight Zone: Medicalizing the Food Supply," a program about the marketing of functional foods. Interviewer Stan Correy reported that the traditional food industry has "hit the proverbial brick wall. It simply cannot make extra profits by just selling plain grains, veggies and fruit; it has to find new ways to tempt consumers to their products. It is no longer credible for the food to be just delicious, especially if it is full of fat and bad things. There is nowhere to go but to make it full of supposedly good things. . . Think about it: fish oil in ice cream: it increases your memory; Brocco-bites, that's broccoli in a pill; wood chips or cholesterol-lowering plant phytosterols in margarine; all part of the wonderful 'healthy' world of functional food and neutriceuticals." And of corporate profit motivation.
~ Valerie James
A picturesque scene of green paddy fields enlivens the heart of the poor agriculturalist, but it brings gloom to the face of the capitalist who lives by exploiting the poor farmers.
With good rains, the farmer's business in agriculture flourishes. Agriculture is the noblest profession. It makes society happy, wealthy, healthy, honest, and spiritually advanced for a better life after death. The vaisya community, or the mercantile class of men, take to this profession. In Bhagavad-gita the vaisyas are described as the natural agriculturalists, the protectors of cows, and the general traders. When Lord Sri Krishna incarnated Himself at Vrndavana, He took pleasure in becoming a beloved son of such a vaisya family. Nanda Maharaja was a big protector of cows, and Lord Sri Krishna, as the most beloved son of Nanda Maharaja, used to tend His father's animals in the neighboring forest. By His personal example Lord Krishna wanted to teach us the value of protecting cows. Nanda Maharaja is said to have possessed nine hundred thousand cows, and at the time of Lord Sri Krishna (about five thousand years ago) the tract of land known as Vrndavana was flooded with milk and butter. Therefore God's gifted professions for mankind are agriculture and cow protection.
Trade is meant only for transporting surplus produce to places where the produce is scanty. But when traders become too greedy and materialistic they take to large-scale commerce and industry and allure the poor agriculturalist to unsanitary industrial towns with a false hope of earning more money. The industrialist and the capitalist do not want the farmer to remain at home, satisfied with his agricultural produce. When the farmers are satisfied by a luxuriant growth of food grains, the capitalist becomes gloomy at heart. But the real fact is that humanity must depend on agriculture and subsist on agricultural produce.
No one can produce rice and wheat in big iron factories. The industrialist goes to the villagers to purchase the food grains he is unable to produce in his factory. The poor agriculturalist takes advances from the capitalist and sells his produce at a lower price. Hence when food grains are produced abundantly the farmers become financially stronger, and thus the capitalist becomes morose at being unable to exploit them.
~ Srila Prabhupada, (Light of Bhagavata, verse 10)
Some of the strongest criticism in the report is levelled against the ILSI, founded in Washington in 1978 by the Heinz Foundation, Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, General Foods, Kraft (owned by Philip Morris) and Procter & Gamble. Until 1991 it was led by Alex Malaspina, vice-president of Coca-Cola.
Dr. Malaspina established ILSI as a non-governmental organisation "in official relations" with the WHO and secured its "specialised consultative status" with the FAO.
Eileen Kennedy, global executive director of ILSI, said that the funding of its regional groups came exclusively from industry, while the central body received money from the branches, from government and from an endowment set up by Dr. Malaspina. Nonetheless, she said, ILSI regarded itself as an independent body.
Dr. Malaspina established ILSI as a non-governmental organisation "in official relations" with the WHO and secured its "specialised consultative status" with the FAO.
Eileen Kennedy, global executive director of ILSI, said that the funding of its regional groups came exclusively from industry, while the central body received money from the branches, from government and from an endowment set up by Dr. Malaspina. Nonetheless, she said, ILSI regarded itself as an independent body.
The man that brought you monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (bgh) is now america’s food safety czar.
Michael Taylor became the senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA. He is now America’s food safety czar.
If GMOs are indeed responsible for massive sickness and death, then the individual who oversaw the FDA policy that facilitated their introduction holds a uniquely infamous role in human history. That person is Michael Taylor. He had been Monsanto’s attorney before becoming policy chief at the FDA.