Scientific consensus

Scientific consensus is the collective judgment, position, and opinion of the vast majority of active, qualified experts on a conclusion in a specific scientific discipline. Scientific consensus results from the self-correcting scientific process of peer review, replication of the event through the scientific method, scholarly debate, meta-analysis, and publication of high-quality review articles, monographs, or guidelines in reputable books and journals to establish facts and durable knowledge about the topic.

Reaching consensus requires significant scientific agreement among qualified experts, a process based on scientific substantiation of a claim that meets the burden of proof by proposing a possible cause-and-effect mechanism supported by the totality of evidence, leading to agreement among experts. In many countries, scientific consensus established on significant scientific agreement is the basis for regulatory approval of drugs to specify a health claim for the properties of the approved therapeutic agent.

Consensus is achieved through scholarly communication at conferences, the publication process, replication of reproducible results by others, debate, and peer review. A conference meant to create a consensus is called a consensus conference. Such measures within a discipline can establish a consensus, although communicating to the lay public that consensus exists may be difficult because the "normal" debates toward gaining consensus may appear to outsiders as revealing uncertainty.

Scientific substantiation

Scientific substantiation for any specific claim is the result of competent and reliable scientific evidence meeting the burden of proof, such as for the confirmed functions of food nutrients on body functions, child growth and development, and reduction of disease risk factors. Such substantiation results from rigorous scientific analysis by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) of applications by manufacturers for labeling of marketed food and dietary supplement products, and by Health Canada.

For health claims associated with dietary supplements, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have a "substantiation standard" defined as "tests, analyses, research, studies, or other evidence based on the expertise of professionals in the relevant area, that has been conducted and evaluated in an objective manner by persons qualified to do so, using procedures generally accepted in the profession to yield accurate and reliable results." Supplement labeling requires manufacturers to have substantiation for each claim using a standard consistent with the FTC definition of "competent and reliable scientific evidence".