Manufacturers agree to reduce fat, sodium and energy by 2015
The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has launched an initiative it believes will help reduce the incidence of chronic preventable diseases in Australia.
The foundation members of the ‘Healthier Australia Commitment’ include some of the largest food companies operating in Australia such as Unilever, Nestle, Campbell, Arnotts, General Mills, Lion, Sugar Australia, Coca-Cola South Pacific and Pepsico Australia - all of which have voluntarily agreed to follow the collective targets for reductions in saturated fat, sodium and energy by 2015.
These include -
- Reduce saturated fat in products by 25 per cent - equivalent to over 3 million kilograms of saturated fat removed from the food supply.
- Reduce sodium in products by 25 per cent - equivalent to over 270,000 kilograms of sodium removed from the food supply.
- Reduce energy, with a focus on energy dense, nutrient poor products by 12.5 per cent - equivalent to over 100 billion kilojoules removed from the food supply.
Professor Peter Clifton, head of Nutritional Interventions at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, said ‘the 2015 targets set by industry are significant steps that could help improve the nutritional quality of the Australian diet’.
“In Australia, the rates of chronic preventable diseases like obesity, Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease are high, putting a strain on our health system,” he said
“There are many factors that contribute to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet is one of those, hence the changes industry is making could have a positive impact on Australia¡’s health,” Clifton said.
AFGC is inviting all industry and non-industry organisations, including health groups, community associations and professional bodies, to participate in the initiative.
Source: Foodservice, 10 October 2012
