Hard butter, soft science

I am amazed your paper published the Feb. 23 column by Sylvain Charlebois. This piece, typical of many from this academic, is poorly supported — with few or no actual facts to back up his claims regarding the possible link between the provision of palm oil as a dietary supplement to dairy cows and some casual observations of differences in the texture and melting point of butter.

I recall the same food researcher making all the rounds a few years back stating how the cost of beef was going to go through the roof. Subsequent review of the detailed CPI figures proved this premonition to have been quite false.

The media attention received by this latest “Chicken Little” story has been similarly hysterical, prompting industry associations to have to take steps to help protect their reputation.

I take heart to see in your March 1 edition that you provided at least some balance in your reporting of this matter to relate the concerns of the Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia regarding the need to take a serious and objective look at this issue to address statements made by individuals that are not based on facts.

However, the entire second half of the article paints Charlebois as a tormented whistleblower and a victim. He has opened a true Pandora's Box that could have negative effects on real people's livelihoods. Oh, how I miss the days when scientists were not media darlings and had to actually do real peer-reviewed research to get published!

Bruce Manion, HRM