British Nutrition Foundation

The British Nutrition Foundation is a British registered charity.[1][2] It has been criticised for conflicts of interest and for acting as an industry lobby group.[3]

British Nutrition Foundation
AbbreviationBNF
Formation1967
Legal statusRegistered charity
PurposeProvision of information on nutrition science
Location
  • New Derwent House, 69-73 Theobalds Road, London
Region served
UK
Director General
Prof Judith Buttriss
Main organ
BNF Council
Websitewww.nutrition.org.uk

History

It was founded in 1967 by Professor Alastair Frazer. In 1973 it held its first annual conference. The BNF educational programme, Food - a fact of life, was launched in 1991.

Aims

According to its entry in the Charity Commission's register, the aims of the British Nutrition Foundation are:

  1. to advance the education of the public, and those involved in the training and education of others, in nutrition; and
  2. to advance the study of and research into nutrition for the public benefit, and to disseminate and publish the useful results of such research.[4]

Operations

The BNF's team of nutrition scientists conduct academic reviews of published research on issues of diet and public health.[5] They present their reports in the BNF's Nutrition Bulletin, as well as various Task Force reports, intended for both academic and lay dissemination.[5] The BNF also organises educational programs designed to provide accessible information on diet and health for children and young people, aged 3–16+ years.[6] The BNF's education website, foodafactoflife.org.uk, provides teaching and learning resources about food and nutrition.[6]

The BNF receives funding for its projects from a variety of sources, including contracts with the European Commission, national government departments and agencies; food producers and manufacturers, retailers and food service companies; grant providing bodies, trusts and other charities.[7]

Criticism

Concerns have been raised about the BNF's relationship with the food industry.[3] The BNF receives funding from some food manufacturers and distributors in the UK.[3]

The British Medical Journal published an article in 2010 criticizing the way in which the BNF has been treated as a source of impartial nutritional information by the media, usually without describing the industry ties. It also criticized the UK government for paying the BNF to develop educational materials on nutrition, and quoted Tim Lobstein, a director at the International Association for the Study of Obesity-International Obesity Task Force, saying that some BNF educational materials seem to support industry messages.[3] A 1985 World in Action documentary interviewed Derek Shrimpton, a previous director general at BNF, who said: "In the period I was there the foundation was solely taken up with defence actions for the industry." He also said that BNF worked to frustrate government committees working on policies to reduce sugar, salt, and fat consumption.[3]

The BNF is open about its intention to shape UK Government policy on food,[7] and this has led to concerns that it is serving as a lobbying group for the food industry.[3]

References
  1. Charity Commission. British Nutrition Foundation, registered charity no. 251681.
  2. "British Nutrition Foundation, Registered Charity no. SC040061". Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
  3. "Independence of nutritional information?". London: British Medical Journal. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  4. "Charity framework". London: Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  5. "Science Programme". British Nutrition Foundation. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  6. "Education Programme". British Nutrition Foundation. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  7. "Who we are, what we do". London: British Nutrition Foundation. 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2011.

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