Well Done! Mars, Inc. Demonstrates Integrity

Let’s give credit where credit is due.

“Mars Inc., the maker of Skittles and M&M’s, is breaking ranks with other food companies and denouncing an industry-funded paper that says global recommendations on limiting sugar are based on weak evidence,” The Associated Press’ Candice Choi reports.

You may also remember that, earlier this year, Mars Inc. strayed from the pack and supported the inclusion of added sugar on the Nutrition Facts panel.

Highlights:

• “Mars — which is also a member of the group, the International Life Sciences Institute — said Wednesday the paper undermines the work of public health officials and makes all industry-funded research look bad.”

• “Company spokesman Matthias Berninger said the study, published by the Annals of Internal Medicine, creates more doubt for consumers rather than helping them make better choices.”

• “Emails obtained by The Associated Press show two Mars executives were copied on discussions about the research project last year. But Berninger said Mars was not a driving force for the paper and would make clear to the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) from now on that it does not support such work.”

• “Notably, one of the paper’s criticisms was the lack of transparency about possible conflicts of interest by those developing sugar guidelines. That’s even though one of the paper’s co-authors previously received funding that was not disclosed. Joanne Slavin, a professor at University of Minnesota who helped write the study proposal, did not list that she received a $25,000 grant from Coca-Cola in 2014. When contacted by the AP, the Annals of Internal Medicine said it was looking into publishing a correction.”