A healthy diet is among the key factors in preventing noncommunicable diseases. The concept is reiterated in the memorandum of understanding signed between Coop Italia, Ancc-Coop (National Association of Consumer Cooperatives) and the Ministry of Health.
New course for Gaining Health
The protocol signed on July 24, 2017 is the latest in a series started 10 years ago under the ministerial program ‘Gaining Health: making healthy choices easy’ (Dpcm May 4, 2007). Italy’s first large-scale retail chain is therefore making new commitments to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent noncommunicable chronic diseases, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Commitments that add to those fulfilled over the past decade.
Information to promote healthy eating
In tune with the ministerial project, since 2010 Coop Italia has been promoting information campaigns aimed at consumers to make them aware of the need to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, and curb consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Coop Italy products reformulated to protect health
On the recipe reformulation front for branded products, Italy’s largest retailer is probably best known for itselimination of palm oil, decided in the aftermath of the publication of the Efsa opinion on the presence of carcinogenic contaminants in refined tropical fat for food use.
But palm oil free is only one part of the broader reformulation work that has been implemented and is still ongoing. In accordance with the ministerial guidelines of ‘Gaining Health,’ Coop Italy has already reduced the salt content by between 10 percent and 31 percent in several types of branded products (industrial packaged bread and frozen ready meals). (1) And improved the nutritional profile of many other products.
Coop Italy’s new commitments
By signing the protocol, Coop Italy and Ancc-Coop commit to the following.
– Promote the dissemination of a food culture based on the principles of healthy living, respect for the environment, and product quality
– Promote and relaunch awareness-raising and information interventions on the importance of proper nutrition, in particular, the need to increase fruit and vegetable consumption
– Promote and relaunch interventions to raise awareness and provide information on the risks of excessive and/or irresponsible consumption of alcoholic beverages
– Promote awareness and information interventions aimed at encouraging the reduction of dietary salt consumption
– Develop reformulation interventions aimed at improving the nutritional characteristics of appropriately identified COOP brand products, such as, for example, interventions to reduce salt content
– Disseminate information related to national strategies and issues of priority interest in health promotion and prevention.
Notes
(1) On the risks related to excessive salt consumption see also.
