Speech of Health, welfare and sport Minister
Edith Schippers at the conference on improving
food products in Amsterdam
22 February 2016
Good morning ladies and gentlemen,
we did some shopping this morning.
10 grams of sugar in one bowl of cereals
7 grams of sugar a biscuit
nearly 14 grams of sugar per glas of juice
Did you know that European children consume between
twenty to thirty-five grams of sugars just by eating
breakfast? Just for breakfast. Depending on the choices
parents make.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Food. It’s a hot topic these days. Bloggers earn a living
out of it. Gurus write bestsellers on it. And don’t we all
love talking about it…
At the same time the food industry is not at the peak of
its popularity, to put it mildly. On the contrary. Our daily
food is said to be “unnatural”, “unhealthy” and
“chemical”.
Ladies and gentlemen, we tend to forget where we
came from. In post-war Europe, food security was a
real problem. The average diet humdrum.
A problem that could not be solved by politicians alone.
We solved it together with our farmers, food producers,
the industry. And we solved it successfully. Never in the
history of Europe, did people have such easy access to
a great variety of safe and affordable foods as today. A
luxury, but still people tend to romanticize the past.
Compliments are in order for all entrepreneurs and
innovators that contributed to food security in Europe.
Nevertheless, we cannot sit back on our laurels.
Because Europe today has different problems. We face
a different reality. No lack of food. No lack of varíety.
But the situation is urgent again. Take your time to
look at these figures!
Imagine what this means.
These are the facts.
Behind them are the people.
People unable to go to work or school, unable to lead
active and productive lives.
People with diabetes, struggling with severe
complications. Blindness, hart diseases, or in the worst
case: even amputations.
If we do not act now, in a few decades, we will gain 11
million patients with diabetes in the EU. That is more
people than the entire population of Portugal or
Belgium. The social and economic impact is huge, not
to mention the impact on our healthcare.
Again, a problem that cannot be solved by politicians
alone. And again, we need our best entrepreneurs and
innovators to join us.
Because it is too easy to point the finger at people’s
poor diets and frame it as a lack of discipline. Or maybe
a lack of skills to make the right choice.
I believe it is more complicated than that.
Yes, lifestyle is a matter of personal choice and
personal freedom, a matter that is close to my heart.
But it is also a matter of product offering. Food is
everywhere At home, at work, in restaurants, in the
streets, the train station, at school. It requires some
discipline to change a bad habit. We all know from
experience. At least I do.
But even if people make a real effort to eat healthily,
too often they end up with unhealthy products in their
basket or cupboards.
Too much salt in that so-called healthy vegetable soup,
way too much sugar in that super food yoghurt, or
those healthy looking breakfast cereals. Too much
saturated fats in those organic whole wheat biscuits.
And so on.
It is too easy to point the finger at the industry and
simply say: let´s forbid or tax unhealthy food. This will
only promote substitution. While hampering innovation
and fair competition.
Actually, I don’t believe in pointing fingers at all.
I believe we should join forces and work together on
product improvement. Respecting people’s freedom of
choice. But making the healthy choice the easy choice.
Thereby accommodating people who make an effort to
live healthy. And more: making a healthy lifestyle the
standard. Especially for our children!
The food industry, the caterers, restaurants, canteens,
supermarkets and other food supplyers are the key
players here. Their role is crucial.
Not just crucial for the health of our citizens. Not just a
social responsibility. But crucial as well for their own
future.
Lifestyle related diseases are a worldwide problem, also
in emerging economies. Producing food that is both
tasty and healthy, will give companies a worldwide
business advantage.
Today is an opportunity to discuss our common
challenges, to discuss possible solutions and work
together on a Roadmap for action. Today is an
opportunity to stop pointing fingers.
So let’s take this next step, or rather: this next leap.
Not backward, to a romanticized past. But forward, to a
healthy future for our children and ourselves.
Thank you!
You may have thought I had forgotten, but before I
introduce our next speakers also on behalf of my
colleague the Minister for Agriculture of the Netherlands
Martijn van Dam, I would like to warmly welcome
commissioner Andriukaitis, mr Sven Bucht, the Swedish
Minister of Rural Affairs and mr Chris Fearne, the
Parliamentary Secretary for Health of Malta. Thank you
for joining us today.
And I am as pleased to see not only officials from the
member states and the WHO, but also representatives
of the industry, business associations and NGO’ s.
Thank you all for being here! Having said that, I
present to you a great example of an entrepreneur and
innovator in healthy food, please welcome Mathieu
Robert and Maarten de Jong.