Burley, V

Cade, J

Evans, CEL

Greenwood, D

White Rose Research Online

Merits of collaboration between industry and academia

C. E. L. Evans

D. Greenwood

V. Burley

J. Cade

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SUGAR’S WEB OF INFLUENCEMerits of collaboration between industry and academiaCharlotte E L Evans lecturer in nutritional epidemiology 1, Darren Greenwood senior lecturer inbiostatistics 2, Victoria Burley senior lecturer in nutritional epidemiology 1, Janet Cade professor innutritional epidemiology 11Nutritional Epidemiology Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; 2Centre for Epidemiology andBiostatistics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKAs a group of scientists working within academia, we areconcerned by the implications of your feature suggesting thatindustry should stop funding external research.1 Universitiesare one of the best types of institution to carry out nutritionresearch because academic researchers are interested in findingout the truth. Would it be better if all universities refused towork with the food industry and the food industry carried outits own research without collaboration with universities? Wethink not. It would lead to inferior research, greater potentialfor bias, and the decision to publish resting with the sponsor,potentially increasing publication bias.Most journals have clear guidelines for declaring potentialcompeting interests.2 The guidelines specify that the fundingbody should have no role in the study design, analysis of thedata, or content of the publication. Even freelance journalistscommissioned by The BMJ declare their many competinginterests. Yet it is this transparency that forms the basis of thearticle’s criticisms.In addition to singling out individuals for criticism, simplybecause they follow best practice in declaring competinginterests, this article targeted the carbohydrates working groupof the government’s Scientific Advisory Committee onNutrition(SACN). It failed to mention that the SACN committeecommissioned its own independent research on carbohydrateand cardio-metabolic health, conducted by the University ofLeeds, to inform its recommendations. As independentresearchers we published our own separate findings andsubjected them to further peer review in leading medicaljournals, including The BMJ.3 The committee comprises someof the most active and competent researchers in nutritionresearch, and it is unlikely that anyone at this senior level wouldnot have some form of competing interest to declare.Competing interests: CELE has worked on government funded projectsas well as projects funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC),Kelloggs, Warburtons, and Kids Company charity. DG has worked onprojects funded by government, MRC, World Cancer Research Fund(WCRF), Kelloggs, Meat and Livestock Commission, and Danone. VBhas worked on projects funded by government, WCRF, MRC, Kelloggs,Meat and Livestock Commission, and the Sugar Bureau. JC is registrarfor the Association for Nutrition and has worked on government fundedprojects as well as those funded by the MRC, WCRF, NationalPrevention Research Initiative, Kelloggs, Meat and LivestockCommission, and the Kids Company charity.Full response at: www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h231/rr-5.1 Gornall J. Sugar: spinning a web of influence. BMJ 2015;350:h231. (11 February.)2 International Society for Medical Publication Professionals. GPP2 guidelines 2009. www.ismpp.org/gpp2.3 Threapleton DE, Greenwood DC, Evans CE, Cleghorn CL, Nykjaer C, Woodhead C, etal. Dietary fibre intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: systematic review andmeta-analysis. BMJ 2013;347:f6879.Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h1138© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015c.e.l.evans@leeds.ac.ukFor personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribeBMJ 2015;350:h1138 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h1138 (Published 4 March 2015) Page 1 of 1LettersLETTERS

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Merits of collaboration between industry and academia

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