Large processed food corporations sponsor the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual conference. Source: Dietitians for Professional Integrity Facebook Page.
Health Impact News Editor Comments
“Registered Dietitians” (RD) is a title reserved for dietitians and nutritionists registered with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND – formerly ADA). However, this group has been quickly losing credibility the past few years as the influence of the processed food industry and Big Pharma have been clearly exposed in terms of their dietary advice. Much of this corporate sponsorship and influence has been published by Michele Simon in her free online publication: And Now a Word From Our Sponsors – Are America’s Nutrition Professionals in the Pocket of Big Food?
We reported earlier this year how continuing education courses sponsored by the AND and Big Processed Food companies held a seminar in California where RDs were informed that “GMOs are safe and gluten intolerance is a fad“. As you will read below, Andy Bellatti of Civil Eats is reporting how Elanco–the global pharmaceutical company behind recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), an artificial growth hormone, and various antibiotics used on livestock farms–is reaching out to dietitians to educate them about the “benefits” of artificial growth hormones and antibiotics in “animal health”.
The AND and registered dietitians have long sought to maintain a monopoly on nutrition advice, and squash freedom of nutrition speech by other groups with different nutritional values. This attempt to monopolize the field of nutrition has suffered some major setbacks, however, in recent months. For example, a recent federal ruling that all qualified nutrition professionals—not just Registered Dietitians—may order therapeutic diets in hospitals, leveled the playing field between alternative nutrition professionals and Registered Dietitians in hospitals, where funding from Medicare and Medicaid is involved. (See: Medicare Ruling Levels Playing Field Among Nutrition Professionals and Registered Dietitians in Hospitals)
Why the Makers of Animal Growth Hormones Shouldn’t Control the Hunger Debate
by Andy Bellatti
Civil Eats
Excerpts:
When I heard that Elanco–the global pharmaceutical company behind recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), an artificial growth hormone, and various antibiotics used on livestock farms–was reaching out to dietitians to educate them about farming, my red flag went up.
Next month, Elanco, which is owned by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and recently bought Novartis’ animal health business for $5.4 billion, will sponsor a free webinar for dietitians titled “U.S. Farming 101.” The session, the company says, is meant to “provide a foundational understanding of farming, with relevant information for nutrition professionals to share with consumers.”
Behind the scenes, Elanco recently gave the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)–a professional group of over 70,000 members that I belong to–a grant (the amount has not been disclosed). At around the same time, AND co-created a committee and personally invited a handful of dietitians who are involved in agriculture (many of whom are also farmers) to join.
The goal, according to internal AND communications, is to “arm Academy members with resources to educate themselves and the public about issues relating to [sustainable farming, food insecurity globally, and nutritiously and safely feeding a growing world population.]”
Elanco suggests that we solve the problem by taking advantage of “dairy innovations” like long-day lighting. The company also tries to make the case that an increase in meat and dairy can help boost test scores in developing nations (the cited study compared children who had their diets supplemented with meat and dairy versus additional calories from oils, essentially operating on the assumption that protein is exclusively synonymous with animal products).
The company’s arguments certainly make for great marketing material, but they do not reflect the reality of solving hunger, or at least not the reality presented by organizations whose livelihood is not dependent on the sale of animal pharmaceuticals.
While Elanco is billing its collaboration with AND as educational, it seems to me that Elanco is looking for an easy way to keep tabs on criticism or concerns about its practices and quickly engage in damage control, if needed.
Read the Full Article here.