Industry funded science vs. independent studies

Robyn O'Brien, Author of The Unhealthy Truth, explains the importance of looking at who is funding a research science in order to check for any conflicts of interest
Industry Funded Science vs Independent Studies
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Industry funded science vs. independent studies

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You know, every day, it seems like there's a new study saying that something's safe, or something is conflicting with a study we just heard the day before. It starts to sound like "He said/She said" science. and I think one of the most important things that anyone can do as they are trying to get informed is to really look at who is funding the science. When we are genetically engineering the food supply, the financial engineering of the science is critically important, and what we're learning is that industry has funded that science in a large majority of the cases. And so you can get online, you can do a little bit of research. You can look into, "Are there conflicts of interest? Please give me the financial disclosures. Is this doctor associated or affiliated with these corporations in any way?" At the United States Patent and Trademark Office, they always have to disclose if an allergist or if a scientist is listed as an inventor on one of these new genetically engineered proteins that are now found in our food supply. And if they are, that's a conflict of interest, and you take that into account when you are reading the science.

Robyn O'Brien, Author of The Unhealthy Truth, explains the importance of looking at who is funding a research science in order to check for any conflicts of interest

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Robyn O'Brien

Author, The Unhealthy Truth

Robyn O'Brien is recognized by Teri Hatcher, Kourtney Kardashian, Kristen Bell and moms around the world.  She has been called “food’s Erin Brockovich” by The New York Times and has been named by SHAPE Magazine as a “Women To Shape the World”, by Forbes Woman as one of “20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter,” and by The Discovery Channel as one of its 15 Top Visionaries. She is a former food industry analyst, author, mother of four and the founder of AllergyKids Foundation. Robyn graduated as the top woman in her class from business school before working as a financial analyst that covered the food industry. She is regarded as an expert on children’s health policy.  She has appeared on CNN, The Dr Oz show, Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC's Kudlow Report, Fox News and the Ricki Lake Show and has appeared in several documentary films, including Food Patriots, Unacceptable Levels, Genetic Roulette.  

Robyn’s work has been recognized by individuals such as Yoko Ono, Robert Kennedy Jr., Ted Turner and Prince Charles. She is the founder of the visionary organization allergykidsfoundation.org which is focused on restoring the integrity of the food supply and the health of children, the author of The Unhealthy Truth (Random House 2010) and her work is seen in Food, Inc. filmmaker Robert Kenner’s 2012 video, Labels Matter, and in Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

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Transcription: 
You know, every day, it seems like there's a new study saying that something's safe, or something is conflicting with a study we just heard the day before. It starts to sound like "He said/She said" science. and I think one of the most important things that anyone can do as they are trying to get informed is to really look at who is funding the science. When we are genetically engineering the food supply, the financial engineering of the science is critically important, and what we're learning is that industry has funded that science in a large majority of the cases. And so you can get online, you can do a little bit of research. You can look into, "Are there conflicts of interest? Please give me the financial disclosures. Is this doctor associated or affiliated with these corporations in any way?" At the United States Patent and Trademark Office, they always have to disclose if an allergist or if a scientist is listed as an inventor on one of these new genetically engineered proteins that are now found in our food supply. And if they are, that's a conflict of interest, and you take that into account when you are reading the science.