title: Big Food's Ambivalence: Seeking Profit and Responsibility for Health.
abstract: In this article, we critically reflect on the responsibilities that the food industry has for public health. Although food companies are often significant contributors to public health problems (e.g., obesity, type 2 diabetes), the mere possibility of corporate responsibility for public health seems to be excluded in the academic public health discourse. We argue that the behavior of several food companies reflects a split corporate personality, as they contribute to public health problems and simultaneously engage in activities to prevent them. By understanding responsibility for population health as a shared responsibility, we reassess the moral role of the food industry from a forward-looking perspective on responsibility and ask what food companies can and should do to promote health.
authors.affiliation: The authors are with the Philosophy Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Vincent Blok is also with the Management Studies Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University.
authors.forename: Tjidde
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tempels
authors.affiliation: The authors are with the Philosophy Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Vincent Blok is also with the Management Studies Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verweij
authors.affiliation: The authors are with the Philosophy Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Vincent Blok is also with the Management Studies Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Blok
mesh_terms: D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D019649:Food Industry; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D012941:Social Responsibility