Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to thank all of the witnesses for coming here today.
I've looked at the figures submitted to us earlier by industry officials concerning the reduction in sodium levels. I'm happy to see that they are making an effort to bring these levels down. However, I have a problem with how fast they are acting, and with how drastic their efforts have been on this front.
Mention was made of a voluntary approach for government and industry. I have to admit that I have many reservations about a voluntary approach. We're talking about a public health issue and the government must assume some leadership on this file. It must develop standards. To my way of thinking, the people who market the products may not be in the best position to be involved in a voluntary approach to resolving the problem.
Your expertise is very interesting indeed and you have to express your opinion, but I have my doubts about a voluntary approach. Take cigarette manufacturers, for example. They had statistics in hand on the harmful effects of cigarettes as far back as 1970. Yet, it took a very long time to get them to take any kind of action.
This brings me directly to a question that has been put to you on three occasions, namely why it is that a cereal product sold in Canada contains three times the amount of sodium as the same product sold in Europe. I expect to hear the same argument about taste. I have a problem with that argument. Earlier, you said that we needed to strike a balance between taste and health. I for one believe that health takes precedence over any other consideration and that if the industry sets an example, the public will fall in step without any problem.
As my colleague Mr. Malo said earlier, if people were informed that the extremely salty food sold to them was detrimental to their health, no doubt they would not consciously choose to ruin their health. The industry really needs to step up its efforts to address this problem. I will admit that unfortunately, you have not received much help from the government.
Why is it that cereal products marketed in Canada contain three times the amount of sodium? No doubt you could employ the same production techniques as other countries.