More than half of the experts on the UK government’s nutrition advisory panel have links to the food industry, a new investigation by the BMJ reveals.

At least 11 of the 17 members of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) are described as having “conflicts of interest” with major food companies, while six out of the 11 members of SACN’s Subgroup on Maternal and Child Nutrition are said to have ties to food firms, including baby food manufacturers and formula milk brands.

SACN is a powerful group of people appointed as independent experts to advise the government, which in turn influences food and health policy. Since being set up in 2000 it has produced high profile guidelines on daily salt and sugar intake, vitamin D supplements, and feeding babies.

But there is concern in science and public health circles that SACN – and the politicians who review its recommendations – have not done enough to curb rising obesity levels and food-related ill health.

Commenting on the BMJ’s findings, the Department for Health and Social Care (responding on behalf of SACN and the members named in the BMJ investigation) said SACN members are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest annually – and new ones at the first appropriate committee meeting, which are included in the minutes and published on the SACN website.

Public interest
It added: “No members of the committee are directly employed by the food and drink industry, and all have a duty to act in the public interest and to be independent and impartial.”

But Chris van Tulleken, associate professor at University College London and author of a best-selling book on ultra-processed food, said: “Even small financial conflicts affect behaviour and beliefs in subtle or unconscious ways,” while Rob Percival, head of policy at the Soil Association, says: “We’re concerned that the committee and its integrity might be undermined by those ties to the food industry.”

The BMJ’s findings have prompted a number of experts to call for a review of the make-up of the powerful committee needs. However, Kat Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, says these ties are partly a result of the lack of money in relevant research. Alison Tedstone, former chief nutritionist for Public Health England, also suggests that refusing to allow experts with industry ties on SACN would “diminish” its expertise and could delay future legislation.

Explosion of suffering
But Van Tulleken insists: “Despite two decades of work from a conflicted SACN there has been an explosion of suffering and death from diet-related disease in the UK so I don’t think it’s credible to claim that the committee has been very effective.

“There are some excellent independent experts but they are a minority and in my view their work has been hampered by conflicts of interest with the industry that has created this health crisis. SACN must become independent of the food industry.”