GRACE tries to end feeding study debate

19 January 2015. After Testbiotech provided evidence of incorrect or insufficient statements regarding declaration of interests in the context of a publication on a feeding trial carried out under the GRACE project, the GRACE Consortium is now trying to put an end to the debate. According to a media release of 14 January 2015, GRACE no longer sees „any basis for continuing the debate with Testbiotech.“ Their official excuse: Testbiotech refuses to take part in a discussion in a forum hosted by the journal Archives of Toxicology in which the controversial study was published. The media release was distributed by an agency called Genius, which also works for the biotech industry.

There is no mention in the media release that there are good reasons not to participate in this specific forum: According to Testbiotech research,, there are very close affiliations between the journal Archives of Toxicology and the experts working in the GRACE project. The journal also has a history of close cooperation with industry. Testbiotech is concerned that under these circumstances the preconditions for a strict peer review, full transparency in declaration of interests and for further unbiased and open scientific discussions will not be met.

Testbiotech has called upon the EU Commission to take action to ensure the highest standards in scientific quality of the project. Furthermore, Testbiotech is of the opinion that the publication should be withdrawn and republished in another journal, but only after a strict peer review.