I am here on behalf of Food and Consumer Products of Canada. FCPC represents companies that make and market the majority of the prepared foods and household commodities that Canadians use every day. In fact, over 70% of the food and beverages on grocery shelves in Canada today are manufactured by FCPC members.
The food and beverage industry recognizes that childhood obesity is a significant health issue. We realize that turning the tide on the rising rates of childhood obesity and the chronic diseases that go hand in hand with obesity will take time and will require the efforts of all sectors of society.
In that context, I thank the committee for this opportunity to speak to you as you gather information from all sectors of society on this very important matter. I realize we have very limited time, so I have provided you all with a copy of our report. I hope everybody has a copy at hand.
The Canadian food and beverage industry's report on diet, physical activity, and health is based on the results of a survey conducted by our member companies in 2005. It captures benchmark data on the food and beverage industry's activities in support of healthy, active living. We assessed the survey results data against the World Health Organization recommendations on what the food and beverage industry should do in support of childhood obesity. Their recommendations can be found in their 2004 report, Global Strategy On Diet, Physical Activity and Health.
We used the World Health Organization recommendations as a benchmark to measure our progress--a report card, if you will. I am very happy to say that the results of our benchmark study demonstrate industry's strong commitment to promoting healthy, active living. And I know that in 2007, when we conduct our next survey, we will find that the food and beverage industry has built on what is already in place.
Our report gives focus to four key areas: product development and reformulation; providing consumers with information; responsible advertising and marketing practices; and promoting healthy, active living. With time limits in mind, my comments are specific to what industry is doing with their products and how industry plays a role in making sure the Canadian consumer is an informed consumer.
Canadian food and beverage companies have invested significantly in both product reformulation and new product development. They have given particular focus to products in the “healthier for you” category. In fact, in 2004, 62% of the companies introduced new products designed to be healthier choices, and 62% reformulated products to make them healthier.
In the report, you will find data on changes made to products specific to fats, sugar, sodium, fibre, omega 3s, and vitamin fortification. I will give mention to the results as they relate to fat, sugar, and sodium--nutrients that were given special mention in the World Health Organization report.
Our survey data show that half the companies reformulated their products to reduce trans fats, and one in five introduced new products with no trans fats. Further, 41% introduced new products with less fat, and 13% introduced products with absolutely no fat.
On the sugar front, 13% introduced new products with no sugar at all, while 22% introduced new products with reduced sugar, and 13% reformulated products to reduce the sugar content.
With respect to sodium, new products with reduced salt content were introduced by 13% of the companies; reformulations to reduce sodium content were completed by 25% of the companies.
Industry has also focused on portion size and packaging matters. In 2004, 23% of the companies made packaging changes to address concerns about portion sizes being too large. Half of those companies introduced smaller packages, and 42% introduced smaller portions.
I realize that rattling off percentages is not very exciting. The message I want to convey is that industry is giving focus to “healthier for you” product development. When looking over our report, please note that there are some great examples of these products on pages 8 through 11.
I will spend the balance of my time speaking to the food and beverage industry's contributions to empowering consumers. Consumers need information to make informed choices in support of a healthy lifestyle.
You already know, through Janet Beauvais from Health Canada, of Canada's state-of-the-art mandatory nutrition labelling program. Food and beverage manufacturers provide consumers with standardized nutrition facts and information on their product labels. The nutrition facts table spells out the calorie count and the nutrient content with respect to 13 core nutrients. It is a powerful tool in the hands of consumers. It facilitates product comparison and assessment at point of purchase.
You may not be aware of the other ways in which the food and beverage industry facilitates consumers being able to make informed decisions. Individual corporations and industry as a whole support initiatives to ensure that consumers are informed. Individual corporate initiatives include websites and call-in centres. Consumers can tap into these resources for product-specific information and for information on healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. Individual corporations and FCPC also work with third party organizations such as Dieticians of Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Canadian Diabetes Association towards helping the consumer to be well informed.
For example, through FCPC, industry supports a great program called Healthy Eating is in Store for You. This education program of the Canadian Diabetes Association and Dieticians of Canada is web-based. It features a virtual grocery store tour and educational materials that help consumers understand how to utilize the nutrition facts table in making food selections.
Again, more great examples are contained in our report. These can be found under “Customer Information” and “Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles”.
While these partnership examples speak of what industry is already doing, I would like to end by speaking of an opportunity that FCPC has explored with Health Canada. In a report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, entitled Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?, the food and beverage industry is called on to use its advertising and marketing expertise in support of promoting messages on healthy living.
In keeping with the IOM recommendations, FCPC approached Health Canada with an offer from food and beverage companies to provide $5 million of in-kind advertising and marketing support to match the government's investment in their healthy, active living program, Take the First Step.
We believe the government's social marketing message, combined with our industry's ability to reach millions of consumers, could make for a very powerful partnership. We certainly encourage government to consider resuming discussions with industry through FCPC.
I sincerely hope I've given you a sense of the food and beverage industry's commitment to healthy, active living in support of addressing the serious issue of childhood obesity. I too ask that this committee and the government work with the food and beverage industry in addressing this issue.
I thank the committee for its attention.