Irene van den Berg
I am an investigative journalist focusing on the influence of the tobacco, food, and pharmaceutical industries on health and society. My reporting has revealed how corporations use investments, lobbying, and marketing to shape science and policy.
My work has been published in outlets such as Vrij Nederland, Follow the Money, BMJ, the Dutch Journal of Medicine, and OneWorld. Investigations include exposing Big Tobacco’s multibillion-dollar investments in pharmaceutical companies, uncovering how food manufacturers profit from both obesity and diet products, and revealing the misleading sustainability claims behind Nespresso’s coffee label.
Expertise
Health, Tobacco industry, Alcohol industry, Food industry, Scientific influence, Lobbying, health-harming industries
Recent publication
#109 Maken de Big Food bedrijven hun plantaardige beloftes waar? – Studio Plantaardig
Big Food likes to present itself as a driver of the global protein transition. From glossy sustainability reports to bold press releases, major food corporations claim they are embracing plant-based innovation and investing in a future with less reliance on animal products. But how real is this shift?
In this investigation, journalist Irene van den Berg examines the role of some of the world’s most powerful food companies in this so-called protein transition. Focusing on Danone, Nestlé, Unilever, FrieslandCampina and Vion, she analyses years of annual reports, financial data and corporate strategies to understand where these companies are truly placing their bets.
Her findings reveal a striking gap between ambition and reality. Around 2020 and 2021, plant-based products were widely promoted as a key growth area. Companies announced bold targets and expanded their portfolios of meat and dairy alternatives. But that momentum appears to have faded. The attention given to plant-based products has declined, both in financial reporting and in corporate messaging.
Meanwhile, animal-based products remain firmly at the core of their business models. Revenues from plant-based lines are relatively small, and in some cases no longer reported separately. Crucially, none of the companies studied has a clear plan to reduce meat or dairy production.
In the Studio Plantaardig podcast, podcast maker Esther Molenwijk interviews Irene van den Berg about her investigation, unpacking what these corporate strategies really mean, and why the protein transition may be more narrative than reality.