Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™ Launch Event
Speaker Talking Points
I. Safeway Welcome
John Obrey, VP of Retail Operations
 Good Morning. On behalf of Safeway, I’m pleased to welcome all of you to the launch of Fruits &
Veggies—More Matters. Safeway is proud to host this event and to join with the Produce for
Better Health Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and your many partners
to encourage healthy eating.

Just look around you and note the amazing variety of great tasting and nutritious fruits and
veggies that we all can enjoy. They come in a variety of forms, fresh, frozen, canned, dried as
well as 100 percent juice. We are eager to help get the word out and to assist consumers to get
more fruits and veggies in their daily diets.
II. Opening and Welcoming Remarks
Elizabeth Pivonka

Thank you, John. Good Morning and welcome to official launch of
Fruits & Veggies—More Matters.

Today, in order to encourage all American to eat MORE fruits and vegetables every day, the
Produce for Better Health Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and our
many partners, including the Culinary Institute of America, officially unveil a new, national public
health initiative:
Fruits and Veggies—More Matters!

Fruits & Veggies—More Matters is a new call-to-action for a healthier America, which is inspiring,
attainable, and easy for people to understand. The message is intentionally simple: No matter
how many fruits and vegetables you consume every day, everyone benefits from eating MORE.
And, whether it’s fresh, frozen, canned, dried or 100% juice, all forms count!

Why is this new national push important? The latest U.S.D.A Dietary Guidelines call for Americans
to consume between 4-13 servings (2 to 6.5 cups) of fruits and vegetables per day, dependent
upon their age and activity level. Two-to-five cups daily (4-10 servings) are recommended for
children between the ages of 2 and 12.

Articles released today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicate that over the past
30 years, consumers have fallen short of the recommended intake by consuming less than five
fruits and vegetable servings per day. This research found that on average, less than 11 % of
Americans met the earlier 5-a-day Dietary Guidelines for both fruits and vegetables. Now, with
new guidelines encouraging Americans to eat even more fruits and vegetables as part of their
daily diet, it is clear that there is a big – and growing – consumption gap.

Why is this an important public health concern? There are many reasons. Eating more fruits and
vegetables can make a difference in maintaining a healthy weight, a timely issue in view of the
nation’s growing obesity epidemic.

Fruit and veggie consumption also is associated with decreasing risk of developing such chronic
diseases as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers. These are enormously
important personal and public health issues.

Fruits and veggies also can provide a wide range of nutrients that are important to protecting our
health and giving us the “fuel” and energy our bodies need every day. Eating more fruits and
veggies is simply a backbone of good health practices at any age.

In a recent PBH survey of American moms, we learned that moms have a very positive perception
of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables – and understand that a diet that includes fruits and
vegetables may help their children avoid obesity. They understand that fruit and veggie
consumption can help promote well-being of body and mind. They also understand that they can
and should include more fruits and veggies in their families’ meals.

These findings parallel other research we have done. The importance of fruits and veggies is
universally understood…the challenge is convincing consumers how much they should eat and
motivating and assisting them to simply introduce more fruits and veggies at every eating
occasion.

And that brings us to today’s launch of Fruits & Veggies— More Matters. How will this new
initiative help consumers translate their positive attitudes into action? Let’s briefly identify some
defining elements.

Almost 90% of those Moms surveyed said that they would be more likely to serve fruits and
vegetables more often if they had access to fast, simple recipes and serving suggestions, and
expressed needing help with specific meal and snacking occasions. We have developed a
dynamic, new Web site, fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org, which will help transform intentions into
actions for Moms and their families.

This new website offers easy, healthy tips and recipes, which incorporate fruits and vegetables.
Serving ideas, shopping advice and tips for getting children involved are included. The site also
gives Moms the opportunity to share their own easy and fun serving ideas. In addition, quarterly
updates from our partner, the Culinary Institute of America, and their chefs, will provide enticing
recipes and tips for healthy, easy cooking with fruits and vegetables.

Today, we are also announcing the start of a new contest for Moms and their families, the Fruits &
Veggies—More Matters Challenge! This 11 week contest invites families to submit their favorite
recipe or preparation tip involving fruits and vegetables. Entrants may win the opportunity for their
family to learn, easy, healthy cooking methods directly from an expert chef at the Culinary Institute
of America. Details can be found on our new Web site and the challenge starts today!

Consumers will start to see the new health initiative,
Fruits & Veggies—More Matters, on packaging and in stores in 2007, enabling them to establish
this connection with their own healthy food choices. 21,000 supermarkets and 170 companies including growers, shippers, packers, processors and retailers, are already licensed to incorporate
the new brand into their marketing programs and packaging materials.

Consumers also will start to see the Fruit & Veggies—More Matters logo on approved products
and recipes that meet the highest nutrition standards set by the CDC. Look for it. As you can see
around us, the logo is beginning to appear on a range of products and recipes. The Fruits and
Veggies—More Matters logo provides added assurance that a product or recipe offers an overall
healthy nutrient profile.

In addition, public health Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators are leading state-wide efforts to
encourage more fruit and vegetable consumption. More than 30 States are already initiating
public education and outreach activities that contribute to our national goal of increasing
consumption of fruits and vegetables. They will be joined by the initiative’s many industry and
public health partners. Some exciting events already scheduled include local cook-offs and food
demonstrations and as well as education sessions for young mothers. Schools are working to
promote the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters in the classroom.

What evidence do we have that the new call to action will succeed? The underlying research
supporting Fruits & Veggies—More Matters includes extensive qualitative and quantitative
research among women, men, tweens and children, in-depth analyses of existing programs
focused on encouraging healthy eating, as well as detailed interviews with public health and
industry leaders, audience specialists and nutrition and health experts. The bottom line: our new
call to action, simply eat MORE fruits and veggies, has been shown to be motivational, attainable,
easy to understand, and supportive of individualized answers to closing the gap between actual
and recommended consumption.

The research findings also demonstrated that moms, the primary gatekeepers to the family, are
best reached in a way that is straight-talking, positive and supportive. Moms understand their
responsibility to their family’s well-being and believe that “more” is better and will act on it.

We hope you share our enthusiasm for getting all Americans to eat MORE fruits and veggies.
Now, I’d like to introduce Thomas Lorentzen, Health and Human Services Director for Region 9,
here in San Francisco.
III. Thomas Lorentzen Remarks
Thomas Lorentzen, HHS Director, Region 9 (San Francisco)
Elizabeth Pivonka
 Thank you, Thomas for your partnership in this new health initiative,
Fruits & Veggies—More Matters. Now, I’d like to introduce Dr. Bill Dietz, CDC Director of the Division
of Nutrition and Physical Activity.
IV. William Dietz Remarks
William Dietz, CDC Director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity
(Suggested comments)

Our partnership was developed to change consumers’ behaviors over the long term and close this
consumption gap.

Incorporating fruits and vegetables encourages a healthy diet and will assist in the prevention of
chronic disease.

In addition, substituting fruits and vegetables as healthy snacks in place of high-calorie, high-sugar
foods and beverages, will help to control the emerging childhood – as well as adult - obesity
epidemic that we are starting to see here in the United States. Incorporating a healthy diet with
fruits and vegetables, in combination with daily exercise will help our children and their families
manage weight, prevent chronic disease and live long, healthier lives.

Today’s articles in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggest that lack of improvement
in fruit and vegetable consumption can be attributed to food preference – both personal and
cultural, environmental barriers, and confusion over how to implement the dietary guidelines into a
daily diet. All these challenges, Fruits and Veggies—More Matters seeks to address head on, with
a message that is simple and positive.

Fruits & Veggies—More Matters will help address this consumption gap –As Elizabeth said, the
message is positive and inspiring. No matter how many fruits and vegetables you consume every
day, everyone benefits from eating MORE.
Elizabeth Pivonka
 Thank you, Bill for your partnership in this new health initiative, Fruits & Veggies—More Matters.
V. Concluding Remarks/ Intro Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Challenge
Elizabeth Pivonka
 And, now, demonstrating how quick and easy it can be to prepare meals with more fruits and
vegetables, we’d like to introduce the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of the Produce for Better
Health Foundation, Jan DeLeyser. Jan will introduce the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters
Challenge CIA Cook-off!
VI. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Challenge
(Jan will emcee the cook-off and will share discussions during the cook-off with Greg Drescher of the
CIA)
Jan DeLyser
 Thank you, Elizabeth. Good morning, I’m Jan DeLyser, Immediate Past Chair of the Board of the
Produce for Better Health Foundation.

Today we have San Francisco’s own John Muir elementary school class to help us judge the
tastiest kid-friendly recipes that they can bring home to mom today! Let’s give these 4th graders a
warm welcome!

To prepare these recipes, are top chefs from the Culinary Institute of America, Adam Busby and
Almir Da Fonseca.

Greg Drescher, Executive Director of the CIA is here with me to provide those culinary details
during the event! Welcome Greg!
Greg Drescher
 CIA is proud to be a partner in the launch of Fruits and Veggies-More Matters with the Produce for
Better Health Foundation and CDC. Today we have 4 recipes to prepare by two top chefs from the
CIA.

To my right is Adam Busby, Director of the CIA culinary school… and to my left is Almir Da
Fonseca chef instructor from CIA culinary school at Greystone. Each chef will be preparing two
recipes each. The recipes are…(list final recipe titles).
Jan
 Kids, how do they sound? Mmmmmmmm!! Well, let’s get started! Our chefs only have ten
minutes to get these prepared in a speedy amount of time, in order to show today’s families just
how quick and easy it can be to prepare a healthy recipe! So, let’s get started. On your mark, get
set, GO! And they’re off!

Today’s judges are three enthusiastic and hungry children from John Muir Elementary School are
Darnell Sullivan, Aliyah Durden and Delilah Sagote!! Come on up here!

We’ll have 2 recipe rounds where each of our judges will taste the creation and then judge which
tastes the best. They’ll judge based on 1, 2 or 3 cherries, with the 3 cherry vote being the best!
Hold up those signs for our viewers!

It looks like our chefs are adding some pineapples, avocados… Lots of tasty ingredients!

So, Greg, what exactly are some of the healthy ingredients??
Greg
 Greg explains first round of recipes and ingredients involved…
Jan
 Well, it looks like our chefs are finished preparing. So, it’s time for the taste test, judges!
[Judges conduct First Taste Test]
Jan
 Okay, moving on to second recipe. Are you ready chefs? (nod) Are you ready kids? (cheering)
Ready, set, go! And, they’re off again to develop their final recipe!

Greg, what is each chef cooking now?
Greg
 Greg explains second round of recipes and ingredients involved…
Jan
 Sounds yummy, doesn’t it kids? (kids cheer and say mmmm!)

Well, it looks like our chefs are finished preparing. So, it’s time for the taste test, judges!
[Judges conduct Second Taste Test]
VII. Final Judging and Winning Recipes Announcement
Jan
 So, judges, we have four great recipes today.
 I’ll need a cherry vote to choose your favorite recipe from Round 1. Will it be the --------------?
(signs held up) Or, will it be the --------------? (signs held up)
Elizabeth Pivonka
 And, the winning recipe for Round 1 of the Fruits and Veggies— More Matters Cook-Off IS-----------!!!!
Jan
 One more cherry vote to choose your favorite recipe from Round 2. Will it be the --------------?
(signs held up) Or, will it be the --------------? (signs held up)
Elizabeth Pivonka
 And, the winning recipe for Round 2 of the Fruits and Veggies— More Matters Cook-Off IS-----------!!!!
 Thank you John Muir Elementary school judges for helping us determine what tasty, AND healthy
recipes you can enjoy with your family! (Applause)
VIII. Closing Remarks
Elizabeth Pivonka
 Thank you for attending the launch of Fruits & Veggies—More Matters, the new health initiative
whose mission is to encourage all consumers to eat MORE fruits and vegetables, whether fresh,
frozen, canned, dried or 100% juice, it all counts!

Please log on to our website www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org for healthy ways to
incorporate fruits and veggies and enter the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters challenge today!

And remember, fruits and veggies provide an unrivaled combination of great taste, nutrition,
abundant variety and multiple product forms. When you want to eat more, they are the only foods
for which we can say, without reservation,
Fruits & Veggies—More Matters.

Thank you.
###