IBFAN-GIFA open letter

Geneva 9 May 2008

Open letter to Vojtech Hainer, President of the EASO Executive Board, and Alain Golay,
ECO Congress Chair

Hundreds of leading European and international scientists are gathered right now in Geneva at ECO to
present and discuss research findings on the prevention and control of overweight and obesity. Such research findings will inevitably affect future policies.We note the involvement of food industries, such as Unilever and Nestlé, as sponsors of ECO and organisers of satellite workshops.

While we welcome the fact that these industries are ready to look more closely at their present practices, we feel it important that explicit and transparent criteria are used to assess sponsorships. Otherwise there is a
risk that under the flag of sponsorship food companies will seek to influence policy and decision making, potentially damaging the
image of the EASO.

The International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO), the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and Consumers International (CI) have recently developed “Recommendations for an international code on marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children”. We are concerned that the decision to accept the food industry as sponsor of ECO may conflict with these recommendations.

We urge EASO to consider the development of stringent criteria for sponsorship that are coherent with the above-mentioned IASO/IOTF/CI recommendations. Other professional associations (e.g. the International Paediatric Association) have already developed and approved guidelines for sponsorship. The lack of such guidelines for future congresses will weaken the position of IASO and IOTF, with which EASO is associated.

IBFAN`s long standing experience in the field of infant and young child feeding has shown that industry can delay and undermine the development and implementation of effective regulations and public health policies. We need to ensure that this will not occur for such an important public health problem as obesity.

Daphne Lachavanne and Rebecca Norton
IBFAN GIFA Geneva Infant Feeding Association

Signed by the following persons:

  • Martin McKee, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
  • Cécile Knai, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
  • Alieen Roberston, Suhrs University College, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Adriano Cattaneo, Institute for Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
  • Nicole Darmon, Inserm, France
  • Mike Rayner, University of Oxford, UK
  • Elizabeth Dowler, University of Warwick, UK
  • Janina Petkeviciene, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania
  • Janneke Hartivig Jorgensen, Suhr University College, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Aida Zlatko Vucina, Institute of Public Health of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 
  • Zlatko Vucina, Institute of Public Health of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Cesar G. Victora, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brasil
  • Judith Meek, EGAOH, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, UK
  • Klim McPherson, Professor, Chairman National Heart Forum, UK
  • Fernando Vallone, Galileo University, Guatemala
  • Penny Stanway, Medical Writer, London, UK
  • Jessica Mitchell, Editor, The Food Magazine & Director, The Food Commission, UK
  • Jeanette Longfield, MBE, Coordinator Sustain: alliance for better food and farming, UK
  • Maryse Arendt, IBFAN EU Representative to EU Platform on Diet, Physical activity and health
  • Arun Gupta, National Coordinator BPNI, Regional Coordinator IBFAN Asia
  • Annelies Allain, Director IBFAN ICDC International Code Documentation Center, Penang, Malaysia
  • Joo Kean, Legal Advisor, IBFAN ICDC, Penang, Malaysia
  • Marcia Annandale, National Coordinator, IFANZ, Regional Coordinator IBFAN Oceania
  • Beverley Beech, Chair, Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services, UK
  • Patti Rundall, Policy Director, Baby Milk Action, UK
  • Lida Lhotska, IBFAN GIFA board member, Switzerland

See also the link to the ECO conference sponsorship page:

http://www.eco2008.org/industry_satellites.htm
http://www.eco2008.org/sponsors.htm


 
 
 
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