Should industry sponsor research?

EDITOR-The issue that Lucas fails to tackle in his article on collaborative research with infant formula companies is conflict of interest in relation to research. 1 Much of his article justifies the need for bottle feeding (with which no one would argue), plays up the educational role of formula manufacturers (highly questionable, as their material has been shown to have biased content), and casts doubt on the long term benefits of breast feeding (not relevant to the key issue). Among his many conclusions was the fact that breast milk has vital benefits in the nutrition of low birthweight infants. 2 The counter argument was posed by Rundall, whose organisation, Baby Milk Action, is engaged in advocacy and lobbying rather than nutritional research. 3 This follows an outdated publication on the infant formula code. 4 Wise, commenting on this report, is forced to speculate that academic nutritionists prepared to communicate their opposition to research support by the infant formula industry could not be found.