The researchers who drew from their work recommendations favorable to the consumption of meat would have omitted to declare links with the agri-food industry. This is what the newspaper “Le Monde” reveals.
Four researchers from seven countries – some of whom are from Canadian universities in McMaster and Dalhousie – have recently assured that reducing their consumption of red meat and processed meat has a small impact on their health. Based on their research, they wrote a series of recommendations published on 1er october in the american magazine Annals of Internal Medicine, advising adults in particular to continue their current consumption of red meat, namely three to four weekly servings in North America and Europe.
A position contrary to the recommendations of the French National Health Nutrition Program and the WHO. However, according to the newspaper Le Monde of October 15, 2019, several of these scientists have failed to declare their relations with the agri-food sector.
Ethical requirements
Le Monde cites nutritionist Patrick Stover in particular, pointing out that his Texas university would benefit from several million dollars in funding from the meat and livestock sector. Funding that the researcher would not have communicated to the journal Annals of Internal Medicine while, as the French daily recalls, the mention of such information is part of the ethical requirements of the journal.
Also quoted by Le Monde, the coordinator of the work, Bradley Johnson, professor at a Canadian university: he would not have mentioned a payment received in 2015 from a scientific lobbying organization in the agri-food sector.
Reviews from experts in nutrition and epidemiology
As soon as the study and the recommendations drawn from it were published, criticism was raised among experts in nutrition and epidemiology. For example, in the person of its research director, the Word Cancer Research Fund claimed that it was not going back on its instructions. “We maintain our confidence in the rigorous research conducted for 30 years”, had declared Giota Mitrou.
“This is not just another study on red meat and processed meat, but a series of high-quality, methodical analyses, resulting in recommendations that we find much more transparent, solid and reliable”, had defended himself. Bradley Johnston, associate professor at Dalhousie University.
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