Conflicts of Interest Policy

World Nutrition is committed to ensuring transparency, integrity, and trust in the research it publishes. All participants in the publication process—authors, reviewers, and editors—must disclose any relationships or interests that could inappropriately influence, or be perceived to influence, their work. This policy aligns with international best practices, including the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Definition of Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest (COI) exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as the validity of research, peer review objectivity, or editorial decision-making) may be influenced by a secondary interest. Conflicts may be financial, professional, institutional, personal, or ideological.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Employment, consultancies, honoraria, or paid expert testimony
  • Research funding or in-kind support
  • Stock ownership or patents
  • Personal relationships or professional rivalries
  • Strong intellectual, political, or advocacy positions related to the subject matter

Author Disclosures

All authors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission.

Authors are required to:

  • Complete a Conflict of Interest disclosure statement during submission
  • Declare all sources of financial support and funding
  • Disclose any non-financial interests that could be perceived as influencing the work

If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

Conflict of interest disclosures will be published as part of the final article.

Reviewer Disclosures

Peer reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript.

Reviewers should decline to review if they:

  • Have collaborated with the authors within the past five years
  • Are affiliated with the same institution as any of the authors
  • Have a financial, personal, or professional interest in the outcome of the research
  • Hold strong competing or adversarial positions related to the manuscript

If a potential conflict is disclosed, the editor will determine whether the reviewer can proceed or should be recused.

Editor Disclosures

Editors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence their editorial responsibilities.

Editors must:

  • Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists
  • Transfer editorial responsibility to an independent editor when necessary
  • Avoid decisions on manuscripts submitted by colleagues, collaborators, or close associates

Editorial Board members serve in a voluntary capacity and are expected to uphold the highest standards of independence and objectivity.

Handling and Management of Conflicts of Interest

World Nutrition applies a structured approach to managing disclosed or suspected conflicts of interest:

  1. Disclosure and assessment
    All disclosures are reviewed by the handling editor or Editor-in-Chief.
  2. Mitigation measures
    Actions may include reassignment of reviewers or editors, additional peer review, or publication of detailed disclosures.
  3. Transparency
    Relevant conflicts are disclosed in the published article.
  4. Enforcement
    Failure to disclose conflicts may result in rejection, retraction, or notification of the author’s institution, depending on severity.

All cases are handled confidentially and in accordance with COPE procedures.

Relationship with Industry and Commercial Entities

Neither World Nutrition nor the World Public Health Nutrition Association accepts funding, sponsorship, or other support from companies whose products or activities may compromise public health. Editorial decisions are made independently of any commercial considerations.

Policy Alignment

This Conflicts of Interest Policy complies with:

World Nutrition is committed to safeguarding the credibility of the scholarly record through rigorous conflict of interest disclosure and management.