The meeting was chaired jointly by Robert Madelin, Director-General, DG Consumer Health and Protection (SANCO) within the European Commission and Van Hubbard, US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).
Debra Platt Majoras, Chairman of the US Federal Trade Commission also gave a perspective on marketing. Commissioner Kyprianou and Alex Azar (HHS Deputy Secretary) closed the conference.
A ‘cooking event’ on the Thursday evening saw Commissioner Kyprianou and Alex Azarhad helping to cook a healthy meal for all participants and attracted a lot of media interest.
The conference started with a plenary session, in which EPHA’s Secretary General had the opportunity to speak of EPHA’s work, and Jim Murray of BEUC - the European Consumers Organisation outlining an NGO perspective on the nature of the problem.
This was followed by 3 workshops:
(1) Partnerships in the fight against obesity
Chaired by Stephan Loerke from the World Federation of Advertisers and Mary Sophos, Grocery Manufacturers of America.
Workshop included presentations from several food companies (eg. Unilever, Kraft, General Mills, and Campbell’s) highlighting what they were doing in relation to reformulation and then focused on self-regulation in relation to advertising. Bruce Silverglade (CSPI) and Betsy Imholtz (CU) also gave presentations. Although some of the companies have been making some improvements to their products, this is generally on a small scale and usually applies to those promoted as rather than to standard products. They argued that they were limited by technology and consumer acceptability and were and take a sectoral approach to reformulation. The advertising discussion was the usual run-through of industry presenting self-regulatory codes that deal with advertising in a general sense and promotion of media literacy and failed measures would tackle the advertising of foods high in fat, sugar and salt to children. Bruce highlighted how the same companies are taking different approaches either side of the Atlantic (e.g. to vending in schools) but they would not accept the need for a standardised approach, claiming that consumer preferences were different.
(2) Influencing young peoples’ lifestyles
Chaired by Fons Schmid, Eurocommerce, and Susan Borra, International Food Information Council Foundation.
It focused mainly on food industry education initiatives aimed at children. It concluded that there are many disparate programmes under way with no co-ordination, no evaluation and insufficient mechanisms to share information. Interested sectors don’t understand each others’ perspectives and vested organisational interests may limit the objectivity and scope.
(3) Impacting consumers’ behaviour toward both nutrition and physical activity
Chaired by Barbara Gallani, BEUC and Jeanne Goldberg, Tufts University.
It included a wide range of recommendations, such as the need to monitor product reformulation, the importance of workplace interventions, point of purchase interventions and promotions, the potential for on-pack information including front of pack sign-posting and mandatory nutrition information on back of pack, the need for structural changes as well as those targeted at the individual, and the limitations of putting too much effort initiatives.
Conclusions
The topic is complex, and there is a clear lack of data on the usefulness of approaches in tackling obesity. More evidence is needed with explicit indicators and evidence.
The best practices highlighted tended to be limited and local, when all the evidence highlighted the enormity of the epidemic that we are facing and the need for actions at the population as well as individual level.
With regard to regulation, NGOs represented clearly want regulation and are sceptical about industry’s ability to take the necessary actions. But both the EU and US emphasise self-regulation and partnerships.
There was agreement that tackling the obesity issue must operate on public health driven goals. However, what industry and civil society organisations each understand by this was not discussed.
Robert Madelin noted that there is a lack of trust between the stakeholders but felt that the process should still move forward.
It was felt that there may be scope in continuing discussions on a transatlantic basis. In addition, it may therefore be useful for the Trans-Atlantic Consumer Dialoague (TACD) to engage with the process.
The question of increased youth involvement in healthier eating arose repeatedly. It was generally agreed that players are should be more youth-centred in considering young peoples’ perspectives.
It was acknowledged that the Commisison has staked out its position and now there is a need for further public debate.
EPHA related section and articles:
EPHA briefing note on regulation, self-regulation, co-regulation
EPHA section on food and agriculture
First meeting of the EU Platform on nutrition, diet and Physical activity
Second meeting of the EU Platform on nutrition, diet and Physical activity
Third meeting of the EU Platform on nutrition, diet and Physical activity
Fourth meeting of the EU Platform on nutrition, diet and Physical activity
