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The Indian Medical Association (IMA), a private association of allopathic doctors in the country, seems to have put itself in a tough spot by embroiling in unnecessary controversies. First, the doctors’ body picked up a fight with Yoga Guru Ramdev by attempting to bully and threaten him over his opinion on the limitations of the allopathic system of medicine.

Not only did IMA take potshots on Ayurveda and Yogic sciences by describing it as ‘quackery,’ reports emerged in the public domain revealing how office-bearers of the Indian Medical Associations were indulging in proselytizing activities during the pandemic. Several netizens exposed how Dr Johnrose Austin Jayalal, the president of the Indian Medical Association accusing him of using the Covid-19 pandemic to convert patients to Christianity.

Even as IMA continues to face flak for its overzealous actions against Baba Ramdev, fresh allegations have surfaced against IMA, accusing them of promoting commercial products of private companies in exchange for huge fees. Several brands have paid the ‘fees’ to IMA in exchange for the association’s “stamp of approval”, which these brands often use to market their products. The IMA’s commercial endorsements of products at the cost of health safety have become a major talking point in the country.

Preferring money over consumers’ heath, the Indian Medical Association had not only endorsed a range of products from fruit juice to an LED bulb but also had given a stamp of approval for these products saying these products had health benefits.

IMA endorsed PepsiCos Tropicana fruit juices and its breakfast cereal Quaker Oatsthe which is the first time in the world that a medical association had endorsed a food product. Terming it a partnership for health, the associations secretary-general, S N Misra, said although the company had not paid money for the endorsement, PepsiCo may sponsor the associations conferences and meetings for three years, the agreement period. Media reports said the company paid the association Rs 50,00,000 for the deal. Public interest groups say the move may set a trend in endorsing such products, which is illegal and unethical.

IMA is clear about why it chose to endorse the products. We endorsed PepsiCo because they approached us. Everyone is welcome. We will endorse after assessing whether the product is safe, Misra told Down To Earth (dte). The associations endorsement committee analyzed information given by the company and decided to partner with it after finding the product healthy, he added. ima has earlier endorsed products such as Dettol soap and the domestic disinfectant Lizol.

The move has been severely criticized. The IMA has become a money-making body that is selling the image of doctors. They should be encouraging people to eat fresh fruits and vegetables instead of lending their weight to commercial products, says C R Soman, director of Health Action by People, an NGO in Thiruvananthapuram. Soman has worked on unethical marketing practices of the food industry in India. If ima wanted to endorse fruit juices, they should have given a blanket endorsement to all fruit juices and not just to one company, he adds. Suspicious of the deal, he says sponsorships involve huge amounts of money and there is little accountability of how the money is spent.

The deal makes business sense for the PepsiCo. In 2007, non-carbonated drinks contributed to 69 per cent of PepsiCo Beverages North Americas revenues.

Illegal

The endorsement means the company gets to use the associations name in advertisements and labels on the packs. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, does not provide for such labels. Section 39 of the act lays down that the label of any package containing food for sale should not have the words recommended by the medical profession on it. The package should also not have words which imply or suggest that the food is recommended, prescribed, or approved by medical practitioners or for medical purpose.

Also, the Medical Council of India's Code of Ethics Regulations, 2002, says that a physician shall not give to any person, whether for compensation or otherwise, any approval, recommendation, endorsement, certificate with respect commercial product with respect for use in connection with his name, signature, or photograph in any form or manner of advertising through any mode. IMA officials claim that they have got lawyers to look into the legal aspect before the agreement was arrived at. An official, on the condition of anonymity, said they had endorsed the constituents and not the product and if the constituents changed, the certification would be scrapped. The company, however, declined to comment.

Such endorsements have triggered controversies earlier. In 2002, the Federation of Family Physicians Associations of India endorsed Coco Colas bottled-water brand Kinley but it was discontinued after objections. In 1997, the American Medical Association endorsed Sunbeam products. The contract was cancelled after public outcry and the associations president was asked to resign.

Here are some of the products endorsed by Indian Medical Association in exchange for funds:

PepsiCo’s Products

In 2008, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had endorsed PepsiCo’s Tropicana fruit juices and its breakfast cereal Quaker Oats, making it the world’s first medical association to endorse a food product.

Pepsico’s India affiliate had signed into a three-year deal with IMA, under which the association endorsed the Tropicana brand of fruit juices and the Quaker Oats brand. As per IMA, Pepsico’s ‘Tropicana’ and ‘Quaker Oats’ endorsement was a partnership for health.

Strangely, IMA has not revealed on what scientific basis did they certify the product or whether it was published in a scientific journal and the details regarding the study. Initially, IMA had said that the company did not pay money for the endorsement, instead, PepsiCo sponsored the association’s conferences and meetings for three years. Later, media reports said the IMA charged a whooping Rs 2.25 crore to endorse Pepsi Co’s products.

Crompton Greaves

The IMA had also ‘certified’ a so-called anti-bacterial LED bulb that claims to kill 85% germs and an indoor paint that claims to kill 99% infection-causing bacteria within two hours of exposure to the painted surface.