The sugar tsars 'in bed' with confectionery giants: Five members of committee tasked with battling obesity epidemic have 'worryingly close' ties

Five out of eight members of a committee tasked with helping to tackle Britain’s obesity epidemic have  ‘worryingly close’ ties with the food industry, it was claimed.

They include chairman Professor Ian Macdonald – one of the country’s leading nutritionists – who works as a paid advisor for Coca-Cola and Mars.

Yesterday critics said those who sat on the so-called ‘sugar committee’ could not be trusted because many of them are ‘in bed’ with food manufacturers.

The row comes as food giants are being urged to cut sugar in products amid fears it has become the ‘new tobacco’.

Doctors and academics say sugar levels must be reduced by at least 30 per cent to halt a wave of disease and death.

The typical Briton consumes 12 teaspoons of sugar a day – and there are nine in a can of Coca-Cola and eight in a 51g Mars Bar.

Professor Macdonald is paid £6,100 to sit on two advisory boards for Coca-Cola and also receives a larger payment for advising Mars.

But in 2009 he faced concerns over a potential conflict of interest and stood down until 2012.

His research at Nottingham University has now received more than £1million in the past three years from the food industry, including £300,000 from Mars.

Funding also comes from Unilever – the world’s largest ice cream manufacturer.

The disclosures yesterday prompted calls for the scientist to resign from the panel because of an ‘unacceptable’ conflict of interests.

Simon Capewell, from campaign group Action on Sugar, said: ‘It’s like putting Dracula in charge of a blood bank.

If Ian Macdonald doesn’t step down, there will be real concerns that their recommendations will be prejudiced by commercial factors rather than scientific public health priorities.’

Cardiologist Aseem Malhotra added: ‘I don’t think that anyone who is in bed with the food industry should be advising the Government.’

Other committee members with ties to the sugar industry include Ian Johnson, a consultant for Swiss chocolate multinational Barry Callebaut.

Professor Ian Young and Professor Julie Lovegrove have also received funding from the sugar industry, while David Mela is an employee and a shareholder of Unilever. All eight members are paid for their work on the committee.

In an interview with Channel 4’s Dispatches programme, Professor Macdonald denied that he is too close to food companies.

He claimed it was important to confer with the industry and said he never discussed any of his government work with Coca-Cola or Mars.

Last night Public Health England said advisers must declare any potential conflicts of interest and be ‘independent and professionally impartial’. 

A spokesman said there were processes in place to ensure ‘transparency and integrity’.

A report to be published later this year by the committee on the health impact of sugar consumption could have a massive impact on the food industry.