ScienceBlogs, an aggregator of some 80 scientific blogs, launched a new blog yesterday titled Food Frontiers that is sponsored by PepsiCo. Food Frontiers' self-stated goal is to cover science, nutrition and health policy. According to its first post:
As part of this partnership, we'll hear from a wide range of experts on how the company is developing products rooted in rigorous, science-based nutrition standards to offer consumers more wholesome and enjoyable foods and beverages. The focus will be on innovations in science, nutrition and health policy. In addition to learning more about the transformation of PepsiCo's product portfolio, we'll be seeing some of the innovative ways it is planning to reduce its use of energy, water and packaging.
As one might expect, some ScienceBlog authors are displeased (to put it mildly) with the blog network's decision to take the Pepsi challenge. GirlScientist writes:
I cannot imagine what sorts of credible nutrition research PepsiCo is doing that they can or will actually talk about publicly, nor can I possibly imagine any "food" corporation actually caring about promoting public health -- unless it promotes their bottom line. I don't care how many PhD scientists they hire, PepsiCo is a corporation, not a research institute, fer crissakes! They do not engage in public navel gazing. As a corporation, their one and only goal is to increase their profit margin, even if that means poisoning their non-American customers or redesigning their "food" so it kills Americans more slowly.
And if you want to know how GirlScientist really feels, just take a look at the base name in her blog entry's URL.
Related: Researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup significantly increases weight gain
Via kottke.org
Photo by Just Another Wretch
