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Table 1 World Health Organizations Global Strategy on diet, physical activity and health: Food companies' responses and recommendations. *

From: The role and challenges of the food industry in addressing chronic disease

Specific Recommendation to the Food Industry

Food Industry Response

â–ª Promote healthy diets and physical activity in accordance with national guidelines and international standards and the overall aims of the Global Strategy.

â–ª Underway through the commitments made by International Food & Beverage Alliance (IFBA) to address the areas of food reformulation, consumer information, responsible marketing, promotion of health lifestyles and public-private partnerships.

â–ª IFBA has also established food and beverage industry groups in over 15 countries/regions, including the 27 countries of the European Union and the 6 countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, to allow industry to react according to the different needs and concerns of different Member States rapidly and individually as well as expand company participation at the local and regional level, to optimize the local impact, and ensure that industry efforts take into consideration regional and national differences.

â–ª More groups are being established in many more countries.

â–ª Limit the levels of saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, and salt in existing products.

â–ª Since the Global Strategy was launched in 2004, the steps taken by the food and beverage industry are very significant and are creating measurable improvements showing a major reduction in the marketing of products high in fat, sugar and salt to children less than12 years of age.

â–ª IFBA companies have reformulated and/or introduced over 28,000 nutritionally enhanced products globally. This includes specifically reducing or eliminating trans-fat in about 18,000 products. Calories were reduced and saturated fats, sugar, carbohydrates, and sodium were also eliminated or reduced in a significant number of products. At the same time, many products were fortified with vitamins, minerals, whole grains and/or fiber.

â–ª IFBA members are also developing product formulations that compensate for chronic micronutrient shortages sometimes found in the developing world--countries in which chronic shortages of iron, vitamin A and iodine in particular can have far-reaching health consequences.

â–ª Continue to develop and provide affordable, healthy and nutritious choices to consumers.

â–ª See above in addition, not IFBA members have increased investments in R&D aimed at achieving this and each of the companies employ scientists, nutritionists and engineers to develop innovative foods and beverages, and have established processes for internal and external expert and scientific review of their nutrition standards which are then used to drive product innovation.

â–ª Provide consumers with adequate and understandable product and nutrition information.

â–ª Ongoing efforts continue, but require closer government oversight and interaction to have impact.

â–ª IFBA companies have also increased the use of consumer information tools, including websites, help lines, in-store leaflets, and brochures.

â–ª Practice responsible marketing that supports the Strategy, particularly with regard to the promotion and marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt, especially to children.

â–ª Considerable progress has been made through the IFBA pledge, which is being implemented globally and is subject to external audit.

â–ª IFBA companies' engaged Accenture to provide a global "snapshot" of companies' compliance with their marketing commitments. Accenture tested compliance in 12 markets around the world. Accenture reported a 98.17% compliance rate for TV advertising, 100% compliance for print advertising and found only one instance of non-compliance on the internet.

â–ª Issue simple, clear and consistent food labels and evidence-based health claims that will help consumers to make informed and healthy choices with respect to the nutritional value of foods.

â–ª Requires clarity from WHO on optimal way forward. Many individual company efforts are underway.

â–ª Many IFBA companies have improved the labeling on their packaging to provide easily-understandable nutritional information, including guideline daily amounts (GDAs) or Daily Value, ingredient listings, and key nutrients. IFBA companies have also made significant progress in implementing full nutritional labeling on a voluntary basis where full nutritional labeling is not compulsory.

â–ª For example, 88% of companies surveyed in Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda are already exceeding the legal labeling requirements and 75% plan on adding more nutritional labeling in the next 24 months.

â–ª Provide information on food composition to national authorities.

â–ª Underway in countries whose governments have clearly stated norms.

  1. *Adapted from WHA 57.17; article 61