As part of the Food and Health Dialogue, food manufacturers, retailers and the federal government have united in their commitment to reduce sodium levels in savoury crackers.
Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) CEO Gary Dawson welcomed the announcement saying the Australian food industry continues to take significant steps through innovation, reformulation and other initiatives to assist Australians to improve their health and wellbeing.
“This announcement underlines the value of initiatives where industry, governments and health organisations work collaboratively to improve the health of all Australians,” said Dawson.
“Industry supports the work of the Food and Health Dialogue and remains committed to the process of improving the nutritional value of commonly eaten foods by reducing salt, saturated fat and energy, and increasing fibre, wholegrain, fruit and vegetable content.”
Dawson also congratulated the industry for its continued investment in a number of initiatives that complement the Food and Health Dialogue, such as the Daily Intake Guide food labelling scheme, the industry commitment to responsible marketing of foods to children, and the Healthy Australia Commitment, an industry-led, multi-year strategy to improve the overall health of Australians, including by reducing sodium, saturated fat and energy in food products.
“It is important to consider the multi-factorial nature of noncommunicable diseases and recognise that collaborative, multi-sectoral partnership approaches have a demonstrated track record of success in Australia and overseas,” said Dawson.
“Industry partnerships, yield far greater benefits than shoehorning industry into regulations that increase complexity and costs and generally result in perverse outcomes with little or no public health benefit.”
The federal government’s Food and Health Dialogue is based on the 2007 National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey which found that the dietary patterns of many Australian children are less than optimal with high consumption of salt and saturated fat, and low consumption of fruit and vegetables.
As a result, in March 2009, the Food and Health Dialogue was established, with its primary activity being action on food innovation, including a voluntary reformulation program across a range of commonly consumed foods. The reformulation program aims to reduce the saturated fat, added sugar, sodium and energy, and increase the fibre, wholegrain, fruit and vegetable content across nominated food categories.