Links between food manufacturers and Spanish health institutions are highlighted in report

“Dangerous liaisons between the food industry and health institutions” have been highlighted in a report by VSF Global Food Justice, an organisation that aims to curb agribusiness and defend food sovereignty.1

The report, Confiad en Mí [Trust Me], published on 21 July, described attempts by brands such as AB Sugar, Danone, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Ferrero, Bimbo, Panrico, and Nutrexpa to link the image of unhealthy products to health by lobbying through medical societies, universities, the media, and other public and private organisations.

Its author, Ferran García, denounced “the continuous and scandalous collaboration of public bodies with the food industry,” highlighting how this lobby has promoted or funded institutions to disseminate scientific research in line with the interests of the industry and distort messages about the effect of sugar and bad food habits.

“There are no good or bad foods, but healthy or unhealthy lifestyles” is a common message among these institutions. For example, the Institute of Studies on Sugar and Beet (IEDAR), created in collaboration with sugar manufacturers, has received grants from the government while claiming “insufficient …