An organization called U.S. Right to Know was able to obtain FOIA documents showing that Coca-Cola is having way too much control over research projects it funds at certain universities. In Coke’s contracts with these universities: Louisiana State University, University of South Carolina, University of Toronto and the University of Washington, they give Coke the right to review and comment on studies before they were published. Coke also had control over the study data, whether results would be disclosed and how and the ability to forbid the researchers from disclosing that their funding came from Coke. Finally, Coke had the power to terminate the studies early, without having to give a reason for the termination even though their website says: “in no event does The Coca-Cola Company have the right to prevent the publication of research results”. Obviously, if you terminate the study because you think the results will be detrimental to Coke, then technically the study wasn’t ready for publication!
Coke also lobbied the CDC (Center for Disease Control) to advance Coke’s corporate objectives over the public’s health. They also worked on influencing the World Health Organization into relaxing its recommended limits on sugar consumption.
Coke’s pr message has been that it’s really the lack of exercise that has created the obesity epidemic and that it has nothing to do with your diet and especially your drinking Coke’s products.
Other research reports that I’ve written about previously have found that studies funded by corporations wind up overall have positive findings in their results for the company’s products verse more negative findings when the studies are conducted by independent researchers. What all this means is quite simple, you probably can’t trust any studies that are funded by corporations. So…let’s all thank Coca-Cola for being so open and honest in their concern for the public’s health.
(Reported The British Medical Journal, 2019)
Coke also lobbied the CDC (Center for Disease Control) to advance Coke’s corporate objectives over the public’s health. They also worked on influencing the World Health Organization into relaxing its recommended limits on sugar consumption.
Coke’s pr message has been that it’s really the lack of exercise that has created the obesity epidemic and that it has nothing to do with your diet and especially your drinking Coke’s products.
Other research reports that I’ve written about previously have found that studies funded by corporations wind up overall have positive findings in their results for the company’s products verse more negative findings when the studies are conducted by independent researchers. What all this means is quite simple, you probably can’t trust any studies that are funded by corporations. So…let’s all thank Coca-Cola for being so open and honest in their concern for the public’s health.
(Reported The British Medical Journal, 2019)
