scholarly journals Analysis of corporate political activity strategies of the food industry: evidence from France

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 3407-3421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Mialon ◽  
Jonathan Mialon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Corporate Political Activity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Different Sources

AbstractObjectiveTo identify the corporate political activity (CPA) of major food industry actors in France.DesignWe followed an approach based on information available in the public domain. Different sources of information, freely accessible to the public, were monitored.Setting/SubjectsData were collected and analysed between March and August 2015. Five actors were selected: ANIA (Association Nationale des Industries Agroalimentaires/National Association of Agribusiness Industries); Coca-Cola; McDonald’s; Nestlé; and Carrefour.ResultsOur analysis shows that the main practices used by Coca-Cola and McDonald’s were the framing of diet and public health issues in ways favourable to the company, and their involvement in the community. ANIA primarily used the ‘information and messaging’ strategy (e.g. by promoting deregulation and shaping the evidence base on diet- and public health-related issues), as well as the ‘policy substitution’ strategy. Nestlé framed diet and public health issues, and shaped the evidence base on diet- and public health-related issues. Carrefour particularly sought involvement in the community.ConclusionsWe found that, in 2015, the food industry in France was using CPA practices that were also used by other industries in the past, such as the tobacco and alcohol industries. Because most, if not all, of these practices proved detrimental to public health when used by the tobacco industry, we propose that the precautionary principle should guide decisions when engaging or interacting with the food industry.

scholarly journals Targeting Children and Their Mothers, Building Allies and Marginalising Opposition: An Analysis of Two Coca-Cola Public Relations Requests for Proposals

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Wood ◽  
Gary Ruskin ◽  
Gary Sacks
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Corporate Political Activity ◽  
Public Health Community ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Marketing To Children

The study provides direct evidence of the goals of food-industry-driven public relations (PR) campaigns. Two PR requests for proposals created for The Coca-Cola Company (Coke) were analysed. One campaign related to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the other related to the 2013–2014 Movement is Happiness campaign. Supplementary data were obtained from a search of business literature. The study found that Coke specifically targeted teenagers and their mothers as part of the two PR campaigns. Furthermore, Coke was explicit in its intentions to build allies, particularly with key media organisations, and to marginalise opposition. This study highlights how PR campaigns by large food companies can be used as vehicles for marketing to children, and for corporate political activity. Given the potential threats posed to populations’ health, the use of PR agencies by food companies warrants heightened scrutiny from the public-health community, and governments should explore policy action in this area.

scholarly journals Nutri-score saga in France: how food industry actors tried to influence public health policies and public opinion

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélissa Mialon ◽  
Chantal Julia ◽  
Serge Hercberg
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Corporate Political Activity ◽  
Ample Evidence ◽  
The Media ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
The Government ◽  
Health Objectives

In October 2017 in France, the government recognized the Nutri-Score front-of-pack labelling system as the only official system to be used on food products. As of July 2018, a total of 70 companies had implemented it voluntarily. There is ample evidence to support its use, and multiple expected benefits in terms of public health. We present here an essay discussing about the Nutri-Score saga. A policy dystopia model, from the literature on tobacco industry tactics, was adapted to classify the corporate political activity of the food industry during the development and implementation of the Nutri-Score. We conclude that, despite public commitments made by some industry actors to implement this system, the food industry is still strongly trying to influence policy and public opinion in the country. There are and will be many hurdles along the way, with food industry members trying to influence regulation at the European level, and building alliances with the media, among others, in France. Hopefully, public health objectives will prevail over commercial interests, in France and abroad.

scholarly journals Food industry political practices in Chile: “the economy has always been the main concern”

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélissa Mialon ◽  
Camila Corvalan ◽  
Gustavo Cediel ◽  
Fernanda Baeza Scagliusi ◽  
Marcela Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
The Political ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Corporate Political Activity ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Nutrition Labelling

Abstract Background In the business literature, the term “corporate political activity” (CPA) refers to the political strategies undertaken by corporations to protect or expend their markets, by influencing, directly or indirectly, the policy process. There is evidence that food industry actors use such political practices, which poses a significant threat to public health. Our study objective was to identify the political practices of the food industry in Chile. Results In Chile, food industry actors supported community initiatives, particularly those targeted at children and those focused on environmental sustainability. Food industry actors also funded research through prizes, scholarships, and by supporting scientific events. Food industry actors lobbied against the development and implementation of a front-of-pack nutrition labelling policy, including with support from the Ministries of Economy, Agriculture and Foreign Affairs. Food industry actors, for example, claimed that there would be unintended negative consequences for society and the economy, and that the policy would breach trade agreements. The same arguments were used against a proposed tax increase on sugar-sweetened beverages. Food industry actors stressed their crucial role in the Chilean economy and claimed to be part of the solution in the prevention and control of obesity, with a particular focus on their efforts to reformulate food products, and their support of physical activity initiatives. Interviewees noted that the political influence of the food industry is often facilitated by the neo-liberal and market-driven economy of Chile. Nevertheless, this system was questioned through social protests that started in the country during data collection. Conclusions In Chile, food industry actors used numerous action- and argument-based CPA practices which may influence public health policy, research, and practice. Despite strong influence from the food industry, Chile adopted a front-of-pack nutrition labelling policy. While the country has some measures in place to manage the interactions between government officials or public health professionals, and the industry, there is still a need to develop robust mechanisms to address undue influence from corporations.

scholarly journals Keeping up with the times: how national public health and governmental organizations communicate about cannabis on Twitter

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna van Draanen ◽  
Tanvi Krishna ◽  
Christie Tsang ◽  
Sam Liu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
National Level ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Medical Cannabis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
National Public Health ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Times

Abstract Background Public health and governmental organizations are expected to provide guidance to the public on emerging health issues in accessible formats. It is, therefore, important to examine how such organizations are discussing cannabis online and the information that is being provided to the public about this increasingly legal and available substance. Methods This paper presents a concise thematic analysis of both the volume and content of cannabis-related health information from selected (n = 13) national-level public health and governmental organizations in Canada and the U.S. on Twitter. Results There were eight themes identified in Tweets including 1) health-related topics; 2) legalization and legislation; 3) research on cannabis; 4) special populations; 5) driving and cannabis; 6) population issues; 7) medical cannabis, and 8) public health issues. The majority of cannabis-related Tweets from the organizations studied came from relatively few organizations and there were substantial differences between the topics covered by U.S. and Canadian organizations. The organizations studied provided limited information regarding how to use cannabis in ways that will minimize health-related harms. Conclusions Authoritative organizations that deal with public health may consider designing timely social media communications with emerging cannabis-related information, to benefit a general public otherwise exposed to primarily pro-cannabis content on Twitter.

scholarly journals “The architecture of the state was transformed in favour of the interests of companies”: corporate political activity of the food industry in Colombia

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Mialon ◽  
Diego Alejandro Gaitan Charry ◽  
Gustavo Cediel ◽  
Eric Crosbie ◽  
Fernanda Baeza Scagliusi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Corporate Political Activity ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Discursive Strategies ◽  
The Media

Abstract Background In Colombia, public health policies to improve food environments, including front-of-pack nutrition labelling and marketing restrictions for unhealthy products, are currently under development. Opposition to these policies by the food industry is currently delaying and weakening these efforts. This opposition is commonly known as ‘corporate political activity’ (CPA) and includes instrumental (action-based) strategies and discursive (argument-based) strategies. Our aim was to identify the CPA of the food industry in Colombia. Methods We conducted a document analysis of information available in the public domain published between January–July 2019. We triangulated this data with interviews with 17 key informants. We used a deductive approach to data analysis, based on an existing framework for the CPA of the food industry. Results We identified 275 occurrences of CPA through our analysis of publicly available information. There were 197 examples of instrumental strategies and 138 examples of discursive strategies (these categories are not mutually exclusive, 60 examples belong to both categories). Interview participants also shared information about the CPA in the country. The industry used its discursive strategies to portray the industry in a ‘better light’, demonstrating its efforts in improving food environments and its role in the economic development of the country. The food industry was involved in several community programmes, including through public private initiatives. The industry also captured the media and tried to influence the science on nutrition and non-communicable diseases. Food industry actors were highly prominent in the policy sphere, through their lobbying, close relationships with high ranking officials and their support for self-regulation in the country. Conclusions The proximity between the industry, government and the media is particularly evident and remains largely unquestioned in Colombia. The influence of vulnerable populations in communities and feeling of insecurity by public health advocates is also worrisome. In Colombia, the CPA of the food industry has the potential to weaken and delay efforts to develop and implement public health policies that could improve the healthiness of food environments. It is urgent that mechanisms to prevent and manage the influence of the food industry are developed in the country.

New and emerging environmental hazards and situations

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alec Dobney ◽  
Greg Hodgson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Health Practitioner ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
The Public ◽  
Environmental Public Health ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Health Related

Environmental public health scientists and health protection practitioners are constantly challenged to respond to new or poorly understood hazards. Practitioners might also be required to address well-characterized hazards that have either increased in magnitude or re-emerged in different situations. Developing technological advances and new and emerging industrial processes (such as fracking, nanotechnology, shale gas, waste fires) can raise difficult questions for the public health practitioner, especially where research and health-related evidence is lacking. In these cases, public health science has a key role in undertaking and communicating risks and in providing the most accurate available scientific evidence and public health advice. The field of environmental public health is crowded with complex problems demanding our attention. It is impossible to devote sufficient clinical, research, and advocacy energies to all of these problems at once. Clinicians, public health professionals, and environmental public health scientists have to choose which health issues take priority.

Trend of Parental Refusal or Delay of Childhood Vaccinations

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meagan Marie Daoust
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Educational Context ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Parental Refusal

The healthcare trend of parental refusal or delay of childhood vaccinations will be investigated through a complex Cynefin Framework component in an economic and educational context, allowing patterns to emerge that suggest recommendations of change for the RN role and healthcare system. As a major contributing factor adding complexity to this trend, social media is heavily used for health related knowledge, making it is difficult to determine which information is most trustworthy. Missed opportunities for immunization can result, leading to economic and health consequences for the healthcare system and population. Through analysis of the powerful impact social media has on this evolving trend and public health, an upstream recommendation for RNs to respond with is to utilize reliable social media to the parents’ advantage within practice. The healthcare system should focus on incorporating vaccine-related education into existing programs and classes offered to parents, and implementing new vaccine classes for the public.

scholarly journals A Failure of Political Communication Not a Failure of Bureaucracy: The Danger of Presidential Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 614-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Hatcher
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
Medical Procedures ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Incorrect Information

President Trump’s communications during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic violate principles of public health, such as practicing transparency and deferring to medical experts. Moreover, the president’s communications are dangerous and misleading, and his lack of leadership during the crisis limits the nation’s response to the problem, increases political polarization around public health issues of social distancing, and spreads incorrect information about health-related policies and medical procedures. To correct the dangerous path that the nation is on, the administration needs to adopt a more expert-centered approach to the crisis, and President Trump needs to practice compassion, empathy, and transparency in his communications.

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