We know that adequate nutrition plays a crucial role in improving our overall health and wellbeing. Danone Ireland, a member of the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce (FICC), aims to bring health through food to as many people as possible. As a leading food and beverage company, we recognise the active role we play in improving thte health choices of the nation. This means going beyond just meeting regulatory standards, but actively working to make healthier options the easy and accessible choice for consumers and providing clear, consistent guidance and information.
Looking at the current health of the nation, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Obesity Report 2022, Ireland ranks ninth of 53 European countries for obesity in adults and 11th for overweight and obesity. More than three out of five (61%) adults are now overweight or obese, with experts predicting that, without intervention, more than four out of five (88%) people in Ireland will be obese by 2060 (Source: WOF-Economic-Impacts-2.V2.pdf, worldobesity.org).
We are at a turning point when it comes to how we think about food and nutrition. The Healthy Ireland Framework 2013-2025 stresses the need for collective and consistent action to address this public health crisis and drive the adoption of healthier diets and lifestyles (Source: https://assets.gov.ie/7555/62842eef4b13413494b13340fff9077d.pdf). As an industry, we have the power and resources to drive positive change.
How can we keep positive momentum moving forward?
Food manufacturers have a clear role to play in helping to tackle this issue. The industry can lend its support with a few simple steps:
Prioritising healthy products:
With a plethora of choices on supermarket shelves, a commitment to providing healthy products is a crucial step the industry can take in enabling the public to make healthier choices.
In February 2023, we launched new health commitments across our dairy, plant-based and beverages portfolio, committing that at least 90% of our product portfolio by sales volume will not be high in sugar, salt or fat (HFSS). We are continually innovating to ensure our products are nutritious, while still tasting great, with more than 90% of products across our dairy, plant-based and water categories being suitable for everyday consumption as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Providing transparent information:
The Danone 2022-2023 Health Journey Report, sets out the promotion of helathier choices as a key part of our ambition to bring health through food to consumers and patients worldwide (Source: danone-health-journey-report-2022-2023-edition.pdf).
We believe that industry should take an active stand in helping people understand what constitutes a healthy diet and the nutritional value of foods, so they can make healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking choices. This can be achieved by providing clear and transparent information on labels and company websites, to ensure that consumers have the information they need to make informed decisions about their food and drink. To see more concrete advancements and better assist consumers in their quest to live a healthier lifestyle, a streamlined labelling approach between countries would be needed.
Engaging in knowledge sharing:
Finally, a collective effort is required across the industry to drive meaningful change and empower consumers to make healthier food choices. Industry experts and business leaders need to work together with government entities to use our collective knowledge to guide future frameworks, while also engaging with current government guidelines regarding healthy eating and food classification.
By following frameworks such as the HSE's Healthy Eating Guidelines, which set out the types of products that form part of a healthy balanced diet, food manufacturers can work towards creating foods that are lower in fat and sugar, create portfolios that drive consumers to purchase foods that are better suited to a balanced diet and provide more options to health-conscious shoppers.
We must support consumers to make healthy choices, and we have a responsibility to facilitate this by providing transparent nutritional information and prioritising healthy products within our portfolios. This is not a nice-to-do option, it's a must-do, if we want to protect future generations from health challenges.
