Anthony L. Almada, B.Sc.05.01.02
It’s Time To Leave The Closet…With Pride
Finding the right forum in which to present the science.
ByAnthony L. Almada, B.Sc., M. Sc
The ostensibly esteemed scientist or researcher approaches the podium, after being profiled by the moderator in a manner akin to that of a recently inducted Nobel laureate. Acronyms and initialisms suffuse the room in an alphabet soup of adulation. The conference room is stuffed with attendees, some here to hail the latest research, others to mutter jealousy disguised as disapproval, and yet others to apply heat to the data to see if it melts or if one will witness an immolation. Unfortunately the majority of those gathered to pay homage or procure competitive intelligence are not peers of the presenter, nor are many capable of understanding the nuances or discerning the oft-axial omissions. Our audience today is still largely closeted: the industry of natural products purveyors, pushers and producers. Tune into the latest edition of Science by Trade Show.
This is the tactic of many: presenting science on a branded ingredient or product, first (or only) at an industry convention or trade show. “Why wait for presentation at a biomedical conference, where scientific peers and erudite critics congregate? Why slipstream behind the emblem of a snooty national research organization like The American College of Rheumatology (ACR), The North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO), or even the International Academy of Cosmetic Dermatology? We can get a rapid return on investment (ROI) from our research spend if we first present at this trade show or that industry convention. All of our competitors will be left agape and all of our pens and Palm Pilots will be empty and full from orders, respectively,“ exclaims the marketing or sales exec.
Impacting upon the vertical and minority community of Endemic Data for Nutraceuticals (EDN) is the myopic goal. It has evolved (devolved?) from the science by press release campaigns, relics of the Chromium Conflicts of the 1990’s, where press releases filled the faxes and files of all too many companies (thank the Supreme Scientist upstairs that DARPA had not yet “unveiled“ the Internet to the public…).
Despite the continuing complaints about the media’s mis- and disinformation headlines and exposés, often conveying a slant against dietary supplements and some “functional foods and beverages“, too many companies choose to remain within the fencing of their own industry. Is not one of the objectives of the nutraceuticals industry to garner greater biomedical community and mainstream awareness from a science-driven perspective [read safety and efficacy], and broaden consumer adoption of its products? How can one expect the message emitted first from a trade show meeting room ever to escalate the media and biomedicine ladder? How likely is a national journalist to write about such a story (at an industry event) when they have the option to cover new revelations at the annual meeting of The American Heart Association (AHA), Nutrition Week or The American Diabetes Association (ADA)? Gee, let me think…
And then there are those “elite“ few who first present the data at a trade show and then present it at a biomedical research conference. Setting the unethical element aside—research conference presentations of new data are typically required to be virginal, never having been presented in public elsewhere—what competitive element does that provide? Is it not inconceivable that a savvy competitor would alert the proper powers of the scientific conference prior to her/his competitor’s presentation and state the data had already been presented? This is one of the reasons why research presentations are mysteriously retracted just before the meeting convenes. In contradistinction, think of the impact of tagging on “As Seen at AHA, ACR, or ADA“ would add to a trade show presentation of data following its unveiling at such meetings of distinction.
In this, our finest hour, where data pirates rule the high seas and pseudoscience is pumping out new products like an industrial strength gene synthesizer, we as members and zealots of the natural consumer products industry need to embrace science and fix on the high road. Like it or not, the masses in the media and biomedical community at large have a “Simon says“ influence on what the consuming public believes, disbelieves, embraces and abandons. We cannot rely upon the existing core of enthusiastic consumers and nutritional evangelists alone. DSHEA gave us new freedoms and yet may end up playing out as a Trojan horse. Good, strong science on specific products and ingredients, focusing on the right outcomes important to consumers including safety) by brand, can create lasting demand. My admonition is to eschew science by trade show myopia, check out the annual meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and pursue a mission of hyperopia.NW