Good afternoon.
Food and Consumer Products of Canada welcomes this opportunity to speak to the Standing Committee on Health. FCPC is the largest industry association in Canada, representing the food and consumer products industry.
The points I will make in the next few minutes, while more succinct, capture the key elements of the full FCPC submission in support of briefing this committee on sodium, and I will focus on looking at the Blood Pressure Canada recommendations, the CSPI recommendations, and the work of the multi-stakeholder working group.
The recommendations out of Blood Pressure Canada's policy statement and the Centre for Science in the Public Interest report, as is evident in appendix 1 of these speaking notes, have common elements, and both direct their recommendations to Health Canada. From FCPC's perspective, Health Canada has listened.
Blood Pressure Canada's policy statement was made available to Health Canada in 2006. Their recommendation to establish a multi-sectoral task force to address this public health matter was taken very seriously. I received my invitation to become part of the Health Canada-led multi-stakeholder working group on sodium reduction in 2007.
Health Canada was very thoughtful in shaping the working group. The stakeholders invited to take part ensured that all perspectives and expertise required to develop an effective strategy were involved. Representatives from the scientific and health professional community, health-focused and consumer non-governmental agencies, the food products and food service industry, and government agencies sit on the working group. The actions of the working group are in line with recommendations common to both Blood Pressure Canada's policy statement and the more recent CSPI report.
The working group is establishing goals based on the dietary reference intakes reports of the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences. The working group has listened to experts from Finland and the United Kingdom on their sodium reduction strategies. This has helped the working group develop consensus on the need for a strategy that's built on graduated targets.
The working group has established a three-pronged approach, one that involves education, voluntary reduction of sodium levels in processed food products and food sold in food service establishments, and research. From FCPC's perspective, a three-pronged approach is critical to success.
The food-manufacturing industry is engaged in product reformulation and product development research to reduce sodium levels in processed food products. In fact, at the public consultations held by the working group in February of this year, a number of food manufacturing companies spoke to the work they are undertaking. However, the food manufacturing industry knows that such endeavours will succeed only if accompanied by a concurrent consumer awareness education campaign. The successful reduction of sodium in the diets of Canadians will only happen if, in concert with changing the food supply, Canadians are informed on why this is happening. Also, this information must come from a respected third-party source, such as Health Canada, if it is to resonate.
Finally, the working group knows that a monitoring and assessment process is integral to success. The requirement is captured within the working group's terms of reference. There are four stages to the terms of reference: the preparatory or information gathering stage; the assessment or review of data gathered stage; the strategic framework development stage; and the implementation stage, which has built into it the mandate to oversee implementation and monitor progress.
As a point of reference, the working group is currently winding up its assessment stage and moving into the strategic framework development stage.
In summary, FCPC believes that the leadership being provided by Health Canada in leading this multi-stakeholder working group process is resulting in a strategy that will lead to the successful reduction of sodium levels in the diets of Canadians. FCPC believes the driving concern behind both Blood Pressure Canada's policy statement and the CSPI report is being addressed.
Thank you very much.