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Welcome to the website of the New Zealand Food Industry Group – FIG for short.
FIG was formed to encourage food companies to work with Government and the community in finding ways to help solve the obesity issue in New Zealand.
FIG members include those of the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council (FGC), The Association of New Zealand Advertisers (ANZA), the Communications Agencies Association of New Zealand (CAANZ) and the Television Broadcasters Council (TBC), food manufacturers, fast food providers, supermarket retailers and a range of other media.
The food industry has an important role to play in solving the obesity problem and members are genuinely trying to find ways to help. There is a lot of work being undertaken by many FIG member companies to produce healthier foods, provide better nutritional information, support community lifestyle initiatives, and to ensure children’s best interests are taken into account. Details of these initiatives can be found in this website.
It has to be acknowledged, however, that the obesity issue is a complex one. There are a large number of factors involved - from the psychology of eating to genetic predisposition and dramatic changes in lifestyle, behaviour, societal pressures and physical activity levels.
The Food Industry is working hard on its contribution to the solution.
FIG Annual Report 2010-11
19th April 2011
Throughout the 2010-11 year, the Food Industry Group (FIG) has continued to monitor the issue of obesity in New Zealand and the world, to work alongside the Ministry of Health, NGOs and other local and international stakeholders, and to participate in making a contribution to finding long term solutions to the problem. This work has been undertaken on behalf of our membership - food sector businesses, associated media and advertising representatives.
Industry initiatives have included:
- Government-Industry Understanding
- Members’ Programmes
- New Children’s Advertising Codes
- Advertising within Children’s Programming on Television
- Foundation for Advertising Research
- International Trends
- Communications
Conclusion:
Industry, broadcasters and other representative bodies have continued their efforts to help reduce obesity in New Zealand. FIG has working closely with them and organizations such as the ASA to ensure that New Zealand’s robust self-regulatory regime is recognized as the most efficient and effective way of ensuring responsible advertising.
International developments are being influenced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) calling on governments to get involved in curbing food marketing. The issue is bound to feature in global policy-making. FIG believes this would be unnecessary in New Zealand where the food industry has taken a proactive and responsible stance, and continues to demonstrate the effectiveness of our self-regulatory system.
It’s important to constantly stress that obesity is caused and influenced by a large number of lifestyle and attitudinal factors. Removing the right to advertise responsibly isn’t going to make the obesity problem go away.
What's New
FIG NewsBites - Dec 2011
In this edition:
- QSRs tackle health issues
- Nestlé invests in our kids
- Kiwis eat too much salt
- Cars redesigned for the obese
- Air passenger stands for 7 hrs
- Obese boy taken from family
- Exercise overpowers 'obesity gene'
- Unhealthy to pay more
- Slim truth in fat figures
- Unprofessional 'research' criticised
Link to newsletter: mim.io/ffcc02
FIG Welcomes Australian Govt Attitude
New Zealand’s Food Industry Group (FIG) welcomes the Australian Government’s intention to work with the food industry on a consistent approach to nutritional information on packaging, rather than impose “traffic light labelling” on manufacturers.
The Australian Government’s position was confirmed recently by the Hon Catherine King, Minister for Health & Ageing, in response to a trans-Tasman review of Food Labelling Law & Policy.
FIG Vice-Chairman, Lindsay Mouat believes partnership with industry is the most efficient and effective way forward on the issue of nutritional labelling.
“When it comes to nutritional guidelines for consumers, there are many strengths in the existing, industry-developed “% daily intake” guide,” he said.
“These strengths can be enhanced by building consumer awareness and understanding. An educational programme may achieve significantly more than tinkering with labelling systems when it is incredibly difficult and costly to find one system that serves all needs.
“There are many flaws with traffic light labelling’s simplistic Red/Orange/Green approach. For example, milk might display a red indicator, sending a confusing message to those sectors of the population who really need to consume greater quantities of the product.”
>> ARCHIVED FIG NEWSBITES HERE.
