Food pyramid revision headlines at IFT
was centre stage at the IFT's Annual Meeting last week, when
experts looked at what a new food pyramid could mean for the food
industry.
One expert speaking at the forum sponsored by the Dairy Council of California, namely Dr Louise Berner from California Polytechnic State University, highlighted the importance of the pyramid in making sure that meals and snacks are based around the whole foods it advocates. She explained this is because of the inherent nutrient density, optimal nutrient ratios and the bioavailability of these foods.
Other speakers noted the importance of the food guide pyramid in teaching nutritional needs to consumers, including children, and the leading role that the food industry plays - via marketing and packaging - in the increasing use of the pyramid.
Proposed changes to the nutritional guidance pyramid are towards encouraging people to make choices to suit their own wants and needs.
The pyramid was first developed in 1992, but the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) has concluded that with the rapid increase in overweight and obesity, "one-size fits all" guidance no long works and that to improve their food choices, individuals need to have access to information specific to their own energy and nutrient needs, based on their age, sex, and physical activity level.
For instance, the pyramid simply recommends 6 to 11 daily servings of bread, cereal, rice and pasta, and does not specify that six servings are recommended only for sedentary women and some older adults, while 11 servings are recommended for teenage boys, many active men and some very active women.
Moreover, while 80 percent of US citizens recognize the pyramid, two-thirds of them are overweight or obese, suggesting a different approach is needed to stem the country's food-related health problems.
An Associated Press-IPSOS poll carried out in May found that 30 percent of Americans consider overeating the nation's top health problem, but just 12 percent said they were dieting.
