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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 - April 2012
In this edition:
- MILO calls for more playtime
- Sedentary life amplifies obesity genes
- Parents need to role model
- Salt survey - NZ in the middle
- People ready for healthier chocolate
- All round winners from water
- Doubt on benefits of nutritionallabelling
- Questions over 6 year EU project
- Not everything bigger in Texas
- Sports stars conflicted
- Shift workers at risk
- Health insurer seeks innovative ideas
- Protecting older brains
- Changing role of children’s museums
- Gene mutation causes overeating
- Chemicals causing a problem?
Link to this newsletter: mim.io/2cec82
FIG NewsBites - March 2012
In this edition:
- Academics demonstrating bad habits
- The argument rages…..
- “Vanity” more powerful than health
- Majority check nutritional info
- Salad or fries with that?
- Welcome trends
- Fat too PC for straight talking Disney
- Pentagon pledges more fruit and vege
Link to this newsletter: mim.io/e97762
>> ARCHIVED FIG NEWSBITES HERE.
Fast Choices
An interesting bit of research into the impact (or otherwise) of menu board labelling in NSW, Australia. It certainly suggests that there is a lack of basic understanding about kilojoules/energy requirements or limits for healthy living amongst a significant portion of the NSW population. The imperial measurement of calories only seems to confuse people more. Read the research: 5/downloads
