British Nutrition Foundation
Abbreviation | BNF |
---|---|
Formation | 1967 |
Legal status | Registered charity |
Purpose | Provision of information on nutrition science |
Location |
|
Region served | UK |
Director General | Prof Judith Buttriss |
Main organ | BNF Council |
Website | www |
The British Nutrition Foundation is a British registered charity.[1][2] The British Nutrition Foundation's vision is that 'Everyone can access healthy, sustainable diets' and the charity contributes to this through its mission of ‘Translating evidence-based nutrition science in engaging and actionable ways’.[3][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]
Criticism
Concerns have been raised about the BNF's relationship with the food industry.[7] The BNF receives funding from some food manufacturers and distributors in the UK.[7]
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.[7] 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.[7]
References
- ↑ "British Nutrition Foundation, registered charity no. 251681". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
- ↑ "British Nutrition Foundation, Registered Charity no. SC040061". Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
- ↑ "British Nutrition Foundation". www.eitfood.eu. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "Vision, mission and values - British Nutrition Foundation". www.nutrition.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- 1 2 "Science Programme". British Nutrition Foundation. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- 1 2 "Education Programme". British Nutrition Foundation. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 "Independence of nutritional information?". London: British Medical Journal. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
External links
- Official website
- Food - a fact of life
- Nutrition Bulletin journal homepage
- British Nutrition Foundation at Spinprofiles.org