IOM Announces Meeting on Food Labeling, Issues Report on Obesity Prevention Workshop
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has announced an April 9, 2010, open workshop to continue its review of front-of-package (FOP) nutrition rating systems and symbols. As tasked by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IOM established a committee to evaluate and report on “the use of symbols, logos, and icons to communicate nutritional information on the front of food labels.” At the forthcoming open session, the committee will gather information on both international and domestic nutrition rating systems and symbols. Scheduled speakers include representatives from (i) the U.K Food Standards Agency (FSA), (ii) the American Heart Association, (iii) ConAgra Foods, the General Mills Bell Institute of Health & Nutrition and Unilever, and (iv) Texas A&M University, the University of Maryland, the University of Washington, and the Yale Prevention Research Center. In addition, New York University Professor Marion Nestle will address concerns about nutrition rating systems and other perspectives on FOP labeling. Details about the committee’s first public workshop, held February 2, 2010, appear in issue 336 of this Update.
Meanwhile, IOM recently published a report summarizing an October 22, 2009, workshop that discussed obesity prevention policies with U.K. and U.S. health experts. Titled “Perspectives from the United Kingdom and United States Policy Makers on Obesity Prevention,” the workshop featured representatives FSA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other government agencies and health organizations. The presenters reportedly “spoke about policies and programs that are addressing the obesity epidemic across sectors, developing partnerships to leverage limited resources, and drawing on available evidence to promote healthy behaviors.” They also called for more research and for continued cooperation across public and private sectors, focusing on: (i) the use of government structures currently situated to address obesity; (ii) school meal policies; (iii) physical activity and the built environment and access to healthy foods; (iv) national programs such those implemented by the USDA and FSA; and (v) state and local policies, including menu labeling laws in New York City.
