The University of Maryland has dumped a research report
that claims a co-operative’s brand of chocolate milk helped high school
football players recover from concussions.
The research was part of an initiative to partner with
businesses to conduct university research.
The university said it is reviewing its research procedures
as a result, and deleting press releases about Fifth
Quarter's milk from its website. It is also returning $228,910
provided by the company and a co-op of milk producers.
The moves come after the school faced a backlash for a
questionable press release that it issued in December. The release said a
preliminary study showed Fifth Quarter's milk helped improve the
cognitive and motor functions of high school football players, even after suffering
concussions.
The announcement sparked criticism because it touted a
specific brand, and appeared to underscore the breakdowns in scientific
standards and conflicts-of-interest that can come about when companies fund
research about their own products.
In July, another university press release had declared that
Fifth Quarter's milk outperformed competing products in aiding
post-exercise recovery. The details of the study were not made available.
This all reminds me of the Dairy Farmers of Canada surveys which concluded that milk and dairy products were priced higher in U.S. than Canadian supermarkets.