The American Society for Nutrition (ASN), established in 1928, is the most well-known academic organization in the field of nutrition research; its current membership is about 5,000. ASN is also the publisher of three academic journals, including the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, one of the most respected journals in the field of nutrition.

As with other health professional organizations, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Academy of Family Physicians, ASN has many problematic ties with the food and beverage industry. These ties can taint scientific objectivity, negatively impact the organization’s policy recommendations, and result in industry-friendly research and messaging that is shared with nutrition professionals and the general public alike. Moreover, the media views health organizations like ASN as purveyors of independent and objective information, largely unaware of the many connections with junk food and beverage giants. You wouldn’t know any of this from the group’s lofty mission: to “develop and extend knowledge of nutrition of all species through fundamental, multidisciplinary, and clinical research; facilitate contact among investigators in nutrition, medicine and related fields of interest; support the dissemination and application of nutrition science to improve public health and clinical practice worldwide; promote graduate education and training of physicians in nutrition; provide reliable nutrition information to those who need it, and advocate for nutrition research and its application to development and implementation of policies and practices related to nutrition.” Given these worthy goals and ASN’s respected status, the organization’s industry ties are all the more troubling.