Junk Science

Good product development starts with risk assessment. Given the planned usage group and secondary groups that might get their hands on a promotional product (think “executive desk toy” and the executive’s child it appeals to), the idea is to make it so safe it can’t fail. Of course, you’ve considered small parts that could be swallowed, and ink and paint that could be toxic, but what else?

You use products yourself all the time that just can’t fail, like the blender that only turns on when the lid is secured, or power plugs that only work with the larger prong inserted on the left side of the outlet. But, the reality is, no matter what a manufacturer does, the human condition may still find some way to get around “fail-safes.” Don’t even try to tell me that you haven’t bent the ground plug back on the extension cord for that last string of holiday lights!

In an effort to deliver accountability to critical end-user clients, our industry counts on test results. But can you always count on the levels of regulated products you’re testing to be considered safe, really are safe? Perhaps you have heard the term “Junk Science.” We’ve spoken here before about the “regrettable substitutions” issue – where ingredients are replaced because of concern over mass media coverage, only to have their replacements turn out to be actually worse than what it replaced.

For example, we’ve talked about bisphenol A (BPA) in this space a few times. It was used beginning in the 1950s in the hardening process of shaping polycarbonate drinkware. But, as the Detroit News has reported recently, both the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have reviewed hundreds of studies on BPA. EFSA found that “BPA poses no health risk to consumers because current exposure to the chemical is too low to cause harm” and the FDA stated that “BPA is safe at the current levels occurring in foods.” Our industry stepped away from BPA because end-users became uncomfortable with it due to countless media reports about the dangers it represented, reports that focused on dosages of BPA well beyond any common usage in food containers. That’s a prime example of “junk science” and over-reported junk science, at that. The rest of the Detroit News article on how to spot “junk science” is a good read.

Want to stretch your junk science imagination a little further? Then you should check out the book “Spurious Correlations.” In a nutshell, this book is all about the theory that if you look long enough, you can find facts to support even the most ridiculous theory. It’s pretty fascinating stuff. For example, the science will show that the number of people drowning in a pool in a given year correlates to the number of Nicolas Cage films released, that the divorce rate in Maine correlates to the per capita consumption of margarine, and yes, that cheese consumption correlates to the number of people dying by becoming entangled in their bedsheets. It’s facts, folks – better than that, it’s SCIENCE. And the entertainment value is high.

Of course, we’re not suggesting you turn to “spurious correlations” to convince your clients of your products’ safety. Rather, it illustrates just how hard it is to get the facts, understand the regulations, and provide the testing in the most economic and expedient manner possible. Jon Levine, president of The Image Group, sees several threats to his business all the time, but also opportunities for those poised to take advantage of them. “We think remaining focused on safety and social compliance is the best way to protect both our clients and ourselves from goods which may pose a risk to the final consumer,” Jon states. “We want to educate the industry as a whole on safety and social compliance, making promotional products and apparel the greatest risk/return proposition medium available in the marketplace.”

How about you, ever consider sourcing a product that somebody said was safe using junk science, or spurious correlations? We’d love to hear the story! Email me at jacobs.jeffreyp@gmail.com. 

Jeff Jacobs has been an expert in building brands and brand stewardship for more than 35 years. He’s a staunch advocate of consumer product safety and has a deep passion and belief regarding the issues surrounding compliance and corporate social responsibility. He recently retired as executive director of Quality Certification Alliance, the only non-profit dedicated to helping suppliers provide safe and compliant promotional products. Before that, he was director of brand merchandise for Michelin. As a recovering end-user client, he can’t help but continue to consult Fortune 500 consumer brands on promo product safety when asked. You can also find him working as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem, traveling the world with his lovely wife, or enjoying a cigar at his favorite local cigar shop. Follow Jeff on Twitter, or reach out to him at jacobs.jeffreyp@gmail.com.