FDII Presentation to Joint Oireachtas Committee
on Health and Children – Paul Kelly, Director &
Shane Dempsey, Head of Consumer Foods, FDII
October 2012
The Irish Agri-food sector
 1 in 8 jobs in the Irish economy are dependent on the
sector
 Employs 50,000 directly, 60,000 indirectly and support
120,000 farming families
 690 enterprises (94% are SMEs)
 Supplies the majority of Ireland’s €14bn grocery sector
 €9bn exports in 2011, target of €12bn by 2020
 2/3 of indigenous exports
 €11.5bn purchases in the domestic economy
 Purchases 90% of Ireland’s agricultural output
 brand and reputation are key to our past and future
success – must be protected
Food industry’s Commitment
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Food industry takes its responsibility seriously
Reformulation (80% of members)
Increasing choice/options for consumers
Nutrition information on pack: GDAs
Compliance marketing and advertising codes
guidelines
 Funding healthy initiatives
 Engaging with state agencies and EU bodies
such as the EU Platform
Reformulation efforts
 A survey carried out by FDII in 2012 into member’s reformulation and
choice initiatives over the last three years showed:
- 82% of respondents had reformulated their products
- 76% had reduced salt in their products
- 50% had reduced saturated fat in their product
- 58% had reduced sugar in their products
- 60% launched ‘alternative’ products
- 83% of companies advertise these ‘alternative’ products
- 68% have portions size information on their products
- 46% have introduced reduced portion versions of their products
- FSAI reported that trans fats levels within the population are within
dietary guidelines
Solving obesity requires a ‘whole of society’
response
 FDII is asking Government to build a collaborative platform
with industry to address this issue - Livewell Project
 We believe that working together all stakeholders make a
bigger impact in reducing obesity
 Food companies have a strong track record in taking
individual and collective actions in the health area eg salt
reduction
 Requests that obesity related policies are evidence-based,
part of a holistic response and do not damage the food
sector or disproportionately target particular categories
 IUNA data should from the basis of future solution
Livewell Initiative: Pillars
FDII’s Livewell Platform
All members sign-up to overarching platform pledge
PILLAR 1: REFORMULATION &
CHOICE
PILLAR 2: NATIONAL WORKPLACE WELL-BEING
PILLAR 3: RESEARCH
PILLAR 4:CATEGORY
COMMITMENTS
Companies provide info on
reformulation activities:
NHF carrying out a root and branch of their
WWB material
Salt, Sugar, Sat/Trans Fats,
Additives, fortification, choice
and portion size
An enhanced WWB campaign will be rolled out
nationally in 2013/14
FDII will engage research institution to research
how to increase physical activity levels in
primary schools and formulate a health literacy
campaign
FDII will work with product
associations to identify
relevant initiatives that can
be incorporated into
Livewell
Information is collated on a
category basis
Information made public to
FSAI
NHF are engaging with IBEC to ensure that
WWB is promoted through its membership.
Eg BCI have created a policy
on vending machines in
secondary schools
FDII aims to select a sample of text companies
in the public, private and SME sector to roll out
interventions amongst the workforce
Information reported on a
yearly basis
FSAI evaluates progress on a
yearly basis
Livewell Steering committee will create a series
of health metrics to measure the WWB impact
on target employees
The metrics committee will establish health
metrics to measure impact amongst target
groups
FDII will engage IBEC’s IR/HR division to
establish employment metrics to measure
impact of the WWBC
Market Research company will identify and
measure attitudes and behaviours nationally and
amongst target populations
Once identified, these
initiatives can have metrics
created for their
measurement
Solutions: What the experts say
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Childhood obesity is a hugely complex multi-faceted problem that requires a ‘whole of
society’ response
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“The scale of the challenge to prevent obesity is magnified by the complex nature of the
condition. The multiplicity of causes of obesity argues against a dependence on
fragmented solutions to address the issue; and too heavy a focus on one part of the
obesity system – on one population group, for example – is not likely to bring about the
scale of change required.” –Foresight Report, 2008
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John Dalli Member of the European Commission, responsible for Health and Consumer Policy:
None of us, however, is able to reverse the obesity trend in isolation. We need to work together:
policy makers, educators, universities, healthcare professionals, civil society, and industry.
Developing effective partnerships is key.
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It’s important to work with industry to tackle obesity/need for an integrative solution to the
problem with the Government, industry and individuals having a role – Professor Donal O’Shea
Obesity Map
Factors affecting obesity at individual level
Principles of a solution
 The following principles are consistently advocated by experts including
many who have attended this committee:
- Strategy for societal response required
- Harnessing all stakeholders
- Industry is an effective partner but can’t operate as a scapegoat
- Interventions should be long-term and sustained
- Targeted at ‘risk’ groups
- Broad national policies can increase inequality
- For childhood obesity, early interventions aimed at
prevention are key
- physical activity has a major role to play
- information and education are key
Reformulation case study: Salt Reduction
 Food companies are constantly reformulating products
based on scientific advice, in addition to increase
ranges and portion sizes of products for consumers
 In 2004, FSAI and FDII began work on salt-reduction
initiatives across the industry
 Some average reductions:
Category
Reduction
Bread
- 20%
Soups and Sauces
-25% in some categories
Breakfast Cereals
-48% since 1998
Snack Foods
-19% in crisps
GDAs
Industry’s Positive Initiatives: GDA Labelling
 Since 2006, FDII involved in initiative to place GDAs on
labelling and spent €400K in 2008/9 on public awareness
 FSAI survey 2009 showed consumers preferred GDA
 Penetration 95% own brand, 83% on branded goods
Food Advertising/Marketing to Children
 Steps taken to reduce ‘exposure’ voluntarily – exposure
during children’s programmes on Irish TV from 36% to 7%
 Over 98% compliance with existing BAI and ASAI
guidelines and internal codes
 Many FDII members are committed to the EU advertising
pledge – Ireland has nearly 100% compliance across media
 FDII engaging with BAI to try to create an advertising model
that is suitable the Irish population’s health profile
Vending Machines
 There are no vending machines in primary schools
 Established guidelines for vending machines in
secondary schools in 2005
 All relevant FDII members compliant with guidelines
 Installation of vending machines and product-mix are
school-led
 Members consult with school management in stocking
products
 Majority of schools stocked by 3rd party vendors
Taxation: Affects wealth not health
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Taxation is regressive
Marginal impacts on diets (Tiffin 2012)
Food taxation rejected in Denmark and Italy
Ireland has high rate of tax on soft drinks: VAT 23%
Contribution of soft drinks to calorie intake is 2-3%
60% of Irish population don’t consume soft drinks
Measure will be viewed as a ‘stealth tax’
Unproven in reducing obesity
Summary
 FDII respectfully requests that this committee:
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recommends that Government leads a whole of society
approach to childhood obesity
engages with industry’s proposed Livewell Project as part of
this response
avoids policies that are not evidence-based and target food
companies
 Education and information must be the basis for policy
interventions
 Irish food companies are ready to play their part