JAMA Spotlights Conflicts of Interest With 'Anti-Meat' Advocates. Are We Surprised?

By Chuck Dinerstein, MD, MBA — Jan 16, 2020

A controversial article on red meat had an unintended consequence: it unmasked the ties between science and industry. Not the meat industry, but the "anti-meat" health-advocacy industry, which reaches into academia and commercial interests. JAMA takes a stance. Good for them, which is good for us.

Image courtesy of Keith Weller USDA

I wrote an article several months ago about a controversial study suggesting that red meat wasn’t all that bad. You can find it here. Calling it controversial is really an understatement, several days before its release, special interests wanted the report retracted and the accusations of conflict of interest by Big Meat followed shortly. The greater truth is discussed in an article in JAMA. I am not going to summarize it. This article is worth the time it takes to read because it shows the conflicts of interest are far more than monetary and that they are alive and well. Backlash Over Meat Dietary Recommendations Raises Questions About Corporate Ties to Nutrition Scientists

Tags:

Chuck Dinerstein, MD, MBA

Director of Medicine

Charles Dinerstein, MD, MBA, is the Medical Director of the American Council on Science and Health. A vascular surgeon with more than 25 years of clinical experience, he brings a physician's understanding of medical decision-making, an appreciation for scientific uncertainty, and a broader perspective on healthcare economics and policy to his writing.