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PepsiCo opens "research" center at Yale Medicine - I may return my degree

by: Michele Simon

Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 21:54:45 PM PST


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(A Pepsi Lab at a School of Medicine? How about a Phillip Morris Center for Curing Cancer, or a Timothy McVeigh School of Law? Maybe a Bin Ladin Institute to End Terrorism? - promoted by Jill Richardson)

This is really embarrassing. I attended the Yale School of Public Health back when it was still a separate department within the Yale School of Medicine. I just received my alumni newsletter, only to find out that Yale Medicine has teamed up with soft drink and snack food giant PepsiCo to create a "research laboratory" in Science Park, which is adjacent to Yale's campus.

Michele Simon :: PepsiCo opens "research" center at Yale Medicine - I may return my degree
What will sort of alleged science will this Orwellian place produce? Why, the "development of healthier food and beverage products," what else? But that's not all. It seems that Yale's price tag was a tad higher. To complete the sell-out, PepsciCo is also sponsoring a fellowship in Yale's M.D.-Ph.D. Program. According to the company's press release, "the endowment will specifically fund work that focuses on nutritional research, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity." Just great. Here's how Dr. Robert Alpern, Dean and Ensign Professor at Yale School of Medicine justifies the deal:

 

PepsiCo's commitment to improving health through proper nutrition is of great importance to the well-being of people in this country and throughout the world. We are delighted that they are expanding their research in this area and that they have chosen Yale as a partner for this endeavor. Extending this partnership to the M.D.-Ph.D. Program represents a visionary investment in one of the finest researcher training programs in the world and thus to the future of science.

 

Sickening. And ironic since Yale is also the home of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, which is fast becoming the nation's leader in the field. I can't help wondering if this is a coincidence, of if PepsiCo figured this was a good way to neutralize the Rudd Center's increasing influence over policies detrimental to the company's bottom line. Let's take, for starters, how Rudd is gaining national expertise on soda taxes, as evidenced by numerous articles penned by Rudd director Kelly Brownell such as this one published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Also making me suspicious is another Yale / PepsiCo connection. When the Rudd Center was first formed, Derek Yach, formerly with the World Health Organization and tobacco control hero, was on staff there. Then in 2007, to the great shock and dismay of public health advocates around the world, he became PepsiCo's Director of Global Health Policy, whatever that means. It's almost like he has returned to buy out his previous company.

Now I understand that everyone is hurting for money these days. The dean whines here about the university's projected 25 percent drop in its endowment for 2009. But really, I don't think that can possibly justify this arrangement. It's not like the alternative was laying off faculty. The alternative was not affiliating with the purveyor of Cheetos and Mountain Dew.

Even though I always say I never learned a damn thing about nutrition at Yale Public Health, at least I could say I went to Yale. But now I am not sure I want to anymore. After writing my book, I admit to being pretty jaded and not easily shocked by industry influence, but this one really hurts. Who can I even complain to? Is nothing off limits to corporate control?

Also posted here and here. (with photos)

Tags: (All Tags)
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Results? (4.00 / 1)
Within the past two years, the company has added world-renowned clinical scientists and experts in nutrition, food safety, epidemiology and health policy to its staff.
...

The lab will be PepsiCo's ninth global regional research center. Four centers are located in the United States with others in the United Kingdom, Mexico, China and India along with satellite centers in Thailand, Brazil and Australia.

And what is the result of this large investment?

This?

In the United Kingdom and Europe, PepsiCo has introduced Baked Lay's and Baked Walkers with 70% less total fat than regular crisps.

In the United States, Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice has two servings of fruit in every 8-ounce serving and offers a juice variety with added calcium and Vitamin D.

In India, PepsiCo is using rice bran oil instead of palmoline oil, which has reduced saturated fats by 40%.

Wow.

The company also was an early adopter regarding health commitments to its consumers by providing a spectrum of good choices

And we know how that propaganda program worked out.


Wow. I would be outraged (4.00 / 2)
Might as well name a law school after Timothy McVeigh or something.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

then again (4.00 / 2)
my own stupid school has shit named after Monsanto. Monsanto gave WashU tens of millions of dollars. Check out the Monsanto Lab for Life Sciences on campus. But at least my degree came from the Chinese department, which is not - to my knowledge - beholden to any corporation.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

[ Parent ]
Another thought (4.00 / 2)
I can help Pepsi develop healthier products for free!

1. purified tap water
2. tea

OK, I don't think they need the lab. That was too easy. Unless they want to use the lab to experiment with various blends of herbal teas.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman


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