United Fresh provided written comments
to USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services last week on
the report issued by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The
DGAC's report forms the basis of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines due to be
published by USDA and HHS by the end of this year.
Overall, United Fresh supported the DGAC report and commended the
committee for making recommendations that were outside the traditional
Dietary Guidelines "box." Additionally, United Fresh offered detailed
recommendations to USDA and HHS that focused on four priority areas:
- Provide clear, strong, compelling and actionable
messages to consumers to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and
other necessary dietary changes
- Use the "Half Your Plate Should Be Fruits and Vegetables" strategy
to illustrate how many fruits and vegetables children and adults need
to eat at every meal
- Commit to implementing policy and environmental changes that will
create healthier food environments and systems-wide approaches.
- Start with Children and Commit to Action Now
United Fresh strongly supports the committee's finding that "because
fruits and vegetables are under consumed by the American public,
efforts are warranted to seriously promote increased intake of fruits
and vegetables." United did however note that it is concerned that many
of the dietary recommendations - such as increasing fruit and vegetable
intake - have been made in prior reports, yet consumption patterns
remain woefully unchanged.
For more information about the importance of strong fruit and
vegetable consumer messages in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, please
contact United's Dr. Lorelei DiSogra at 202-303-3400, ext. 403.
