The matter in summary In Sia 2016, the Norwegian authorities collaborated with the food industry to make food healthier. Despite intentions for healthier food, we eat less fish and fruit, and still take in too much salt. The sugar content of the food has not changed much. NTNU professor Steinar Krokstad believes that the food industry is an enemy of public health, as they sell what pays, regardless of health effects. The food industry disagrees with the criticism, and says they are doing a lot to reach the goals in the memorandum of understanding for a healthier diet. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The shopping trip will soon be over. On top of the cart is milk, minced meat and everything else that was on your list. As you approach the checkout, you have to pass the store’s latest temptations. Large chocolate bars on offer. Take three, pay for two! The snack is placed right next to the ice cream. It must be done well to resist. But the goal of the collaboration between the authorities and those who make and sell the food is actually that you should resist. Because it will be “easier for the consumer to make healthier choices”, sums up the Directorate of Health. – Selling what pays But despite eight years of intentions, we eat less fish, less fruit and berries and still get too much salt. The sugar content in the food has not changed much. The same applies to saturated fat and the use of coarse flour and vegetables. – The result is clear. It is going in the wrong direction, says NTNU professor Steinar Krokstad. He is clear about why this is so. Professor Steinar Krokstad believes our diet could be completely different if the food industry actually took responsibility. Photo: Sverre Lilleeng / news – We have a business community that does not differentiate between health-promoting and health-harmful products, and sells what is profitable. Then you are an enemy of public health. Almost two thirds of the population are now overweight. And almost a quarter of adults are obese. If we had been able to follow the dietary advice, society could save over NOK 154 billion per year, according to a calculation from 2017. In Chile, octagonal black marks have influenced what people put in the shopping cart: – Care little about what people eat Krokstad sat in an expert group that right after the new year, the authorities gave new advice on what should be done to improve our diet. Here he only speaks on behalf of himself as a public health researcher. Among other things, the expert group suggested increasing the taxes on drinks with added sugar, giving free fruit and vegetables to children at school and introducing proper labeling of our food. Krokstad believes that the food industry, both the shops and the industry, have gotten away too cheaply. – They want to sell anything to increase turnover and care little about what people eat. It’s easy to grab a chocolate bar in the store. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news Because they have a great opportunity to influence us through advertising and the way they offer goods in the shops. – Unfortunately, I have no confidence that those who sell food really have any intention of helping with public health issues. The professor believes that stronger lye is needed to get the food industry to contribute to a healthier diet. – I believe that there must simply be consequences for them financially, if they do not follow through on the letter of intent. Because otherwise, as it is today, they really do as they want. The food chains say they use nice vegetable counters to get customers to buy healthier food. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news Neither those who produce the food nor the grocery chains recognize the criticism from the professor, or the claim that they are enemies of public health. Read what they say further down in the case. New study on ultra-processed food: – We must take this research very seriously Meetings and workshops Special adviser Ole Berg in the Directorate of Health says that the food industry has worked closely with the authorities after the first agreement was signed in 2016. They have attended meetings and stood up at workshops and so on. Some have worked to change the recipes of the goods they sell, or made other moves in the stores. At the same time, he says that the directorate knows that there are commercial interests that business takes into account. – They make choices that are not always in the best interest of public health. But that’s how it should be in a free market. Over 60 percent of soft drinks sold in Norway are sugar-free. Berg admits the authorities and the business world have not reached the goals they have set themselves, even though a lot of good work has been done. – So it may indicate that you also need other means to achieve them. Tax on sugary drinks Petter Brubakk in NHO Mat og drikke is proud of the cooperation that the industry has with the authorities. – I don’t think you will find any other European country where the authorities and the business community work so closely and closely to achieve good results. – You are called enemies of public health. What do you say to that? – That way of characterizing a seriously working industry is very unvarnished, and not conducive to a good debate about the hill we ensure better public health, replies Brubakk. Peter Brubakk in NHO Mat og drikke says many companies are constantly trying to develop new products, or make what they already make a little healthier. Photo: news – Those who produce drinks have ensured that there are now mostly sugar-free varieties within any drink you want, he continues. In the decade before the letter of intent was signed, sugar consumption in Norway plummeted. In 2016, the decline has flattened out. But Brubakk does not want a new tax on sugary drinks, even though it is recommended by both the World Health Organization and the Norwegian expert committee. – We have tried the tax instrument. All the challenges we have with public health and diet today have therefore arisen while we had taxes. He also places part of the responsibility on the consumers. – Many products have been developed which unfortunately have only remained on the shelves for a few weeks or months, because not enough people wanted them. Good for customers who live a long time At Coop, Ingvill Størksen says that they are aware that they have an important role to play. And she is aware that the goals in the letter of intent have not yet been reached. – At the same time, it is also the case that our role is not to refuse people to buy what they want. Ingvill Størksen in Coop believes that the development in Norwegians’ diet could have been worse if the business community did not cooperate with the authorities. Photo: Espen Solli – Having healthy customers who live a long time is good for both us and the customer, so to speak. She explains the offers they have on four bars of chocolate for less than a hundredfold, or packages of eight large soft drinks, with competition. – We have to do what we can to get customers into our store. When customers are in our store, we also “nudge” healthier choices. But we are not supposed to decide what the customers should choose.
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– The development is going in the wrong direction – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
