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Industry-funded research and bias in food science

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  • Anita Rao

    (University of Chicago)

Abstract

Is industry-funded scientific research likely to be biased towards finding positive results? Is industry more likely to work on topics with likely positive outcomes? Using publication-level data and focusing on food groups that are typically considered healthy, I evaluate each article’s abstract using crowdsourcing tools. I find little evidence to support selection on topics with positive outcomes, but industry is less likely to work on topics classified as unrelated to health. Conditional on a topic, I find that industry-funded research is 3.2% more positive compared to non-industry funded research with grains that receive heavier funding responsible for most of the effect. Industry-funded research is also more likely to receive a mention in certain industry newsletters. Coupled with firm incentives to use science to further their marketing efforts, such increased trade press coverage might play a role in shaping consumers’ opinions on what is healthy.

Suggested Citation

  • Anita Rao, 2022. "Industry-funded research and bias in food science," Quantitative Marketing and Economics (QME), Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 39-67, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:qmktec:v:20:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s11129-021-09244-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11129-021-09244-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Empirical industrial organization; Consumer protection; Industry funding; Bias in science;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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