After the Canadian government asked for a new misconduct probe, the University of Guelph (UG) has come to a much more damning conclusion about its star botanist, whose research upended the nutritional supplement industry.
An initial UG probe had cleared Steven Newmaster, but a second panel of investigators has found “with high probability” that the scientist engaged in “data fabrication and falsification,” failed to acknowledge sources of data, and mismanaged conflicts of interest in three papers. According to a March summary of the investigation obtained by Science, they said Newmaster made numerous “false or unsupportable statements” and showed “disrespect for science communication.”
One of Newmaster’s testing companies, Tru-ID, is now defunct, although several supplement-makers including Nature’s Way and Jamieson Vitamins still use Newmaster’s Tru-ID certifications to validate product ingredients. Citing confidentiality rules, a UG spokesperson declined to comment about whether Newmaster will retain his post, faces other penalties, or can appeal the investigative committee findings.
