A Nutrition Workshop, Human Nutrition – Issues and Opportunities, for members of Food Levy Board Organisations was held on 17 January 2003 at the Meat and Livestock Commission, Milton Keynes

Citation

(2003), "A Nutrition Workshop, Human Nutrition – Issues and Opportunities, for members of Food Levy Board Organisations was held on 17 January 2003 at the Meat and Livestock Commission, Milton Keynes", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 33 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2003.01733cac.005

A Nutrition Workshop, Human Nutrition – Issues and Opportunities, for members of Food Levy Board Organisations was held on 17 January 2003 at the Meat and Livestock Commission, Milton Keynes

A Nutrition Workshop, Human Nutrition – Issues and Opportunities, for members of Food Levy Board Organisations was held on 17 January 2003 at the Meat and Livestock Commission, Milton Keynes

In the UK a number of food commodity boards exist. These boards have been set up by Government initiatives and the boards are funded by a levy paid by food producers or’wholesalers or processors on the relevant’foodstuff when it passes into the food chain.

The boards include:

• •

  The Dairy Council and Milk Development Council.

• •

  Horticultural Development Council.

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  Home-Grown Cereals Authority.

• •

  British Potato Council.

• •

  Meat and Livestock Commission.

• •

  Sea-fish Authority.

The boards undertake research and promotion on behalf of the food sector for which they receive a levy. They are all non-profit-making organisations.

Owing to their strong links with food and farming they have strong associations with DEFRA (Department for Food Farming and Rural Affairs), NFU (National Farmers Union), BNF (British Nutrition Foundation) and the FSA (Food Standards Agency).

Members of the boards meet regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest. One of these areas is nutrition and a meeting on this was held on 17 January.

Robert Pickard of the BNF gave a scene-setting presentation on "Food's contribution to health and happiness". A presentation on "Diet and health today" and issues for the food industry followed this. Information on the diet and nutrition surveys and their use to the food industry and levy boards was given. Food education as part of the national curriculum in England and Wales was detailed.

Presentations from members of each of the levy boards were given.

During the afternoon a number of workshops were held to discuss nutritional issues of mutual concern and how to take these matters forward.

The following issues were covered.

Research opportunities

Aim of group discussion:

To explore and examine current issues in diet and human health and endeavour to identify potential opportunities for collaboration on existing and/or future research projects.

Objectives:

• •

  To discuss diet and health issues which may link to food production.

• •

  To consider government policy on diet and nutrition.

• •

  To establish areas of particular nutritional concern.

• •

  To examine standards of practice for tracking research.

• •

  To agree two to three action points to take forward.

Issues identified:

1. 1.

   Red meat consumption:

2. 2.
   • •

     potential link with cancer;

   • •

     potential link with coronary heart disease;

   • •

     food-borne pathogens, e.g. E.coli 0157; and

   • •

     prion diseases.

3. 3.

   Pesticides in cereals, vegetables and potatoes

4. 4.

   Mycotoxins in cereals

5. 5.

   Acrylamide in potato/cereal products

6. 6.

   Milk consumption: potential link between’MAP bacteria and Crohn's disease.

7. 7.

   Allergies to cereal and dairy products.

Action points on research:

• •

  crop manipulation;

• •

  communication and collaboration on specific issues on nutrition/food safety;

• •

  functional foods;

• •

  sharing of information on developing the balanced diet based on the pooling’of’levy body resources/research; and

• •

  seek joint funding for research with FSA.

Integrating with the National Curriculum

Aim of group discussion:

To explore and examine current issues in diet’and human health and endeavour to identify potential opportunities for integrating’the promotion of levy board food’commodities with the National Curriculum.

Objectives:

• •

  to examine where food and nutrition’feature in the National Curriculum;

• •

  to consider government policy and school-based initiatives on diet and nutrition;

• •

  to discuss the constraints to promotional activity in schools;

• •

  to establish standards of practice for the’promotion of food to schoolchildren; and

• •

  to agree two to three action points to take forward.

Action points on integrating with the National Curriculum:

• •

  Circulation of the National Consumer Council guidelines (for producing education materials) and the DoH Guidelines for producing education materials for education.

• •

  Explore the potential for a central resource forum – a one-stop shop for teachers to get education resources to support the teaching of food and nutrition in schools.

• •

  Help schools achieve the Healthy Schools’Standard for healthy eating. This’would be through a variety of ways,’depending on the interest of the’members, e.g. breakfast, school lunch, curriculum materials, and cookery club.

• •

  Set up a food challenge during Schools Design and Technology Week in June with a competition, set around the commodities from the different boards.

Using dietary surveys

Aim of group discussion:

To explore and examine the variety of dietary surveys currently available and identify potential opportunities for using these to promote levy board food commodities.

Objectives:

• •

  to discuss how to use surveys to identify the contribution our food makes to health;

• •

  to establish areas of particular nutritional concern;

• •

  to identify niche opportunities for promoting specific food groups;

• •

  to consider potential opportunities for the future use of such data; and

• •

  to agree two to three action points to take forward.

Action points on using dietary surveys:

Survey data were discussed in full and the types of questions that can be answered from them

Learning points:

Use the right survey data with the right’analysis to answer any questions postulated regarding food and nutrition.

Integrating the promotion of food for health

Aim of group discussion:

To explore and examine current issues in diet and human health and endeavour to’identify potential opportunities for future’development and promotion of levy board food commodities.

Objectives:

• •

  to discuss diet and health issues in the UK today and establish areas’of’particular nutritional concern.

• •

  to establish niche opportunities for promoting specific food groups.

• •

  to consider food-labelling regulations and the pitfalls of making claims.

• •

  to establish common standards of practice.

• •

  to agree two to three action points to take forward.

Action:

• •

  More cross-sectional interaction is needed. Need to develop a framework for this to occur.

• •

  Establish linkage to other organisations, e.g. BNF, to define and communicate consistent and compatible messages.

• •

  Increased co-ordination in education and approaches to schools will result in better uptake.

Conclusions from the meeting were that opportunities do exist for collaborative approaches in the field of nutrition.

The key nutrition-related issues were the same for all the levy boards. These were highlighted by the Policy Commission Report on Food and Farming which stated that action is required by all sections of the food chain to contribute to reductions in obesity, coronary heart disease, cancer and health inequalities. However, to do this clear consistent information on what constitutes a healthy diet is needed.

Government has given a commitment to work in partnership with industry and consumers to support and influence the production, manufacture and preparation of healthier food. Similarly, it has committed to support the provision of information to consumers about healthy eating.

Presently, the lack of accurate information, education and basic cooking skills amongst the population continues to pose a challenge to levy boards.