NFPA supports industry role in health initiative, says Cady
Association, yesterday declared his support for government,
industry partnerships to encourage healthy eating at an executive
roundtable.
John R. Cady, president and CEO of the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), yesterday declared his support for government, industry partnerships to educate consumers on healthy eating.
Cady was speaking at a roundtable, hosted by Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Tommy Thompson and attended by a variety of other CEOs, to address in particular the HHS initiative 'Steps to a Healthier US'.
The Thompson initiative is aiming to stem the rising chronic disease statistics through community-based programs.
Cady pointed to NFPA and food industry commitment to providing consumers with important information on good eating habits.
"The message to consumers must be on how to eat, not what to eat, to promote healthful diets and lifestyles to help address the serious issue of overweight and obesity in the United States," he said.
He also discussed strategies designed to improve, extend and enhance the nutrition and health information available to consumers via nutrition labeling, health claims, nutrient content claims, structure function claims and dietary guidance messages.
"Efforts to help provide consumers with health promotion or disease prevention information will be most effective if they are undertaken in partnerships between industry and government," he continued.
Cady added that the NFPA strongly encouraged partnerships between industry and health and education agencies at the federal, state and local levels with the aim of developing nutrition information and education materials to motivate consumers.
The NFPA recently launched its Consumer Partnership Program, designed to offer information on a variety of food and nutrition issues to consumers via its Consumer Website. In addition the websites for more than 50 government and public health groups now feature links to NFPA's consumer fact sheets. And Cady said NFPA is now revising its educational materials to teach consumers how to use the nutrition and health information available on food packages.
Revisions are also underway to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid. It is hoped that these new consumer education tools will be easier to understand than their current versions, providing context within which consumers can make informed food choices.
However despite these reassurances that the food industry is willing to co-operate in changing the nation's diet, many manufacturers continue to make lucrative deals with schools to fill up vending machines with fatty and/or sugary snacks and drinks, encouraging bad eating habits at a young and impressionable age.
Earlier this week the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) called for these sorts of products to be removed from schools' vending machines and replaced with healthier alternatives such as raisins, cereal mixes, low-fat milk or fruit juices.
