Not out of the kindness of my heart

Coca-Cola and Pepsi finance medical organizations

Julia Korowski, XX2 CENTURY

Scientists confirm: the eternal rivals still have something in common.

In 2011-2015 The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo have sponsored more than 96 healthcare organizations. Thus they tried to neutralize the opponents and keep the profit. This is reported by the work of scientists at Boston University, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Aaron, Siegel: Sponsorship of National Health Organizations by Two Major Soda Companies).

According to the study's lead author Daniel Aaron, companies "used healthcare organizations to create positive associations with the brand." "Producers of carbonated beverages can neutralize possible legislative opposition by exploiting mutually beneficial exchange and financial dependence of national health organizations," he says. – In this case, organizations not only do not support the preservation of public health, but they can also become unwitting tools of a corporate marketing strategy that undermines it."

The scientists analyzed open data and compiled a list of 96 American medical organizations to which the largest manufacturers of carbonated beverages provided financial support. 12 of them received money from both corporations, one – only from PepsiCo, 83 – only from Coca-Cola. The authors note that the data may be incomplete, since PepsiCo does not publish a list of organizations that have received sponsorship. The soda manufacturers funded the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) – "an amazing fact, given the link between diabetes and carbonated drinks consumption," the researchers note. The companies tried to prevent the adoption of 28 legislative acts aimed at reducing soda consumption and improving nutrition. On average, in 2011-2014, the American Association of Beverage Manufacturers spent more than a million annually on lobbying, PepsiCo – more than 3 million, Coca-Cola – more than 6.

"Previous research on sponsorship of alcohol and tobacco companies shows that corporate charity is a marketing tool capable of silencing healthcare organizations that otherwise could lobby and support health measures directed against the industry," says Michael Siegel, one of the authors of the work. For example, the organization "Save the Children" advocated the introduction of excise taxes on sugary carbonated drinks, but abandoned its position after it received more than $5 million from Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo in 2009-2010.

The researchers recommended that healthcare organizations not accept donations from manufacturers of carbonated drinks and look for alternative sources of funding. They noted that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other organizations at the end of 2015 did not renew the contract with Coca-Cola.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  10.10.2016