HPSC1008: Introduction to Science Communication

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HPSC1008 Introduction to Science Communication

• Lecture Eight
• Science and the Consumer
• Monday 24th November

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Science and the Consumer

• How is science communication used in the consumer
  sphere?
• Whose interests are served?
• Most studies of Sci comm of public sector
  institutions
• Idea of public safety, health, enlightenment
• Sci comm for public good
• Occasionally see the consumer mentioned
• Practical argument in PUS - benefits to the
  consumer/informed choice
• Encouragement of healthy eating - sci comm for
  public information
• Is the private sector any different?

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Science and the Consumer II

• PUS public appreciation of science
• Interests of scientists shaping agenda
• Nelkin - isnt all sci comm and PUS just
  marketing of science?
• But what is being sold?
• Science as an idea?
• Science as an authority?
• As a worthy expenditure of taxpayers money?
• In private sector largely being sold goods and
  services

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The power of the consumer

• Recent scientific controversies have displayed
  the power of the consumer
• BSE - sales of beef went down
• GM crops - consumers didnt buy the products
• Resistance to them seen as public ignorant of
  science
• Resistance to innovation
• Anti-science
• Sound familiar?
• Monsanto resorted to science communication
  campaign to persuade the public that GM crops
  good
• Campaign focused on science of genetics, as if
  this was the problem

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Monsanto

• Public perceptions of the knowledge of the
  benefits of this technology have not kept pace
  with grower demands for the new tools.
  Regulation has been uneven and slow As the
  true, scientifically-based benefits of these
  products become clearly articulated, support and
  acceptance of this new tool will lead to the next
  generation of added value products and consumers
  will be able to make informed decisions on cost,
  benefits, and alternative solutions to meeting
  their demands.
• Roger Krueger, Monsanto, 2000

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The Monsanto Pledge (2002)

• Dialogue
• Transparency
• Respect
• Sharing
• Delivering Benefits
• So Monsanto science communicator there to
  convince the public through advertising and
  education?
• Or to conduct a two-way dialogue with the public?

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Food labels

• Large component of science communication in
  consumer industry is food labeling
• Certain legal requirements
• Big area of concern when it came to GM crops
• Labels allow consumer choice and confidence

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The legal requirements

• Law requires that prepacked food that is being
  delivered to the ultimate consumer (you) or the
  caterer (the cafe that serves you) to be marked
  with
• name of food
• list of ingredients (though only since 2004 in EU
  that anything making up under 25 had to be
  listed)
• quantity of certain types of ingredient
• if it appears on label in picture or photo
• if it appears in the name of the food or is
  usually associated with the name (cheesecake)
• of it is essential to characterise a food and to
  distinguish it from products with which it might
  be confused

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The legal requirements II

• indication of durability
• any special storage conditions or conditions of
  use
• name and address of manufactuer, packer or seller
  and
• place of origin if necessary to avoid leading the
  consumer
• additional requirements (if lots of caffeine but
  not tea of coffee needs label e.g. coke)
• instructions for use if necessary (heat
  thoroughly soak these beans overnight or you
  will die)

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The legal requirements III

• Exceptions
• Coffee suplied to cafes
• Hens eggs
• Spreadable fats
• Most wines and spirits (only alcohol )
• Fresh fruit and veg
• Some preserved fish
• All information communicated must be easy to
  understand, clearly legible, indelible and not
  obscured by pictures or photos.

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The legal requirements IV

• Prohibited claims include tonic properties that
  can prevent, treat or cure a human disease
• Restricted claims to what you can scientifically
  claim on packaging
• E.g. Low calorie/reduced
• A low calorie product must have no more than 40
  kcal per 100g
• A reduced product must have no more than three
  quarters of the energy value of a comparible food
  that does not make the claim
• Consumers associations say science communicated
  on food is still very misleading, want much more
  information on there.
• Much more recent concern since obesity epidemic
  in UK

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The Traffic Light Scheme

• Developed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA)
  which claims to be
• an independent Government department set up to
  protect the publics health and consumer
  interests in relation to food.
• Idea is that consumer can see at a glance if the
  food has high medium or low amounts of certain
  nutrients in 100g of the food
• Adopted by many different food retailers

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GDA Scheme

• Traffic light scheme is voluntary
• Lots of Food manufacturers do not use it
• Food and Drink Federation came up with GDA scheme
• GDA guideline daily amount
• Based on portion size
• Very controversial, lots of criticism
• Whose interests are being served by this?
• Claim it does not demonise certain foods

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Whose interests?

• We help our manufacturers operate in an
  appropriately regulated marketplace to maximise
  their competitiveness. We communicate our
  industry's values and concerns to a range of
  audiences in the UK and abroad, including
  Government, regulators, consumers and the media.
  We work in partnership with other main players in
  the food chain to help ensure our food is safe
  and that consumers can have confidence in it.
• FDF, 2006

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Some criticisms of GDAs

• Based on portion sizes for an adult
• Defined as a person of healthy weight and average
  activity levels
• Figures are based on a womens GDA
• Childrens GDAs may be used on products that are
  consumed by children
• Based on portion size, so need to understand
  percentages
• Portion sizes are arbitrary
• So battle over science communication continues.

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Science and advertising

• Other place in consumer sphere we see a lot of
  consumer claims.
• Lots of science communication going on
• But to what end?
• Adverts serve many functions
• Promote a particular product or cause
• Give identity to a product or cause (branding)
• Make claims about a products qualities,
  information about a cause
• To persuade people to take the action implied by
  the ad (buy, vote, give)
• Adverts were unregulated until the 19th century
• 1893 - claims in ads had to be reliable

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Advertising Standards

• Advertising 17bn/yr industry
• Integrity of the industry maintained by the
  Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Demands
  adverts comply with legal requirements, as well
  as adhere to principles of honesty, truthfulness
  and decency

• Gillian McKeith products had to remove the Dr
  as found to be misleading, providing a false
  sense of scientific authority

• LOreal told to pull an advert for mascara which
  claimed to enhance lashes by 60 once it was
  found that Penelope Cruz was actually also
  wearing false eyelashes in the photo

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Advertising Standards II

• Marketing should not exploit the credulity, lack
  of knowledge or inexperience of customers
• Should not make a joke if people wont know it is
  one
• Cannot mislead, or be likely to mislead by
  inaccuracy
• Two examples
• Huntingdon Life Sciences
• Philip Morris tobacco company

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Science as a marketing tool

• Can find instances of science being used to sell
  products, and also a lack of science as
  something to champion.
• Demonstrates ambivalent attitudes and
  representations of science in society.
• When it comes to cosmetics, gadgets the more
  scientific and technological the better.
• Use of science and technology to communicate what?

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Summary

• Science communication in the consumer sphere
  takes a variety of forms
• Some legal requirements about what for it should
  take
• Different roles and motives for science
  communicators
• Whose interests are being served?
• Public interest vs. commercial interest
• Science in advertising used generally in a manner
  which borrows authority of science to sell
  something

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Week 9 - Task

• Find some examples of science communication in
  consumer sphere
• Food packaging
• Magazine adverts
• Any others Ive not mentioned.
• Think about
• What is being communicated
• Is it legally required?
• If not, what else is being communicated and why?
• What sort of representations of science can you
  find