An healthy eating it is among the fundamental factors for the prevention of non-communicable diseases. The concept is reaffirmed in the memorandum of understanding stipulated between Coop Italia, Ancc-Coop (National Association of Consumer Cooperatives) and the Ministry of Health.
New course for Gaining health
Il protocol signed on July 24, 2017 is the latest in a series launched 10 years ago as part of the ministerial program 'Gaining health: making healthy choices easy' (Dpcm May 4, 2007). The first Italian large-scale retail chain therefore takes on new commitments to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent chronic non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, 2 type diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Commitments that add up to those fulfilled in the last decade.
Information to promote healthy eating
In keeping 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 the consumption of fruit and vegetables, and to limit the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Coop Italia products reformulated to protect health
On the front of the reformulation of recipes of branded products, the leading operator of Italian large-scale distribution is probably best known forelimination of palm oil, decided after the publication of the Efsa opinion on the presence of carcinogenic contaminants in refined tropical fat for food use.
But the palm oil free it is only part of the larger reformulation work that has been implemented and is still ongoing. In accordance with the ministerial guidelines of 'Gaining health', Coop Italia has already reduced the salt content in a variable measure from 10% to 31%, in various types of brand products (industrial packaged bread and frozen ready meals). (1) And the nutritional profile of many other products has improved.
The new commitments of Coop Italia
By signing the protocol, Coop Italia and Ancc-Coop undertake to
- promote the spread of a food culture based on the principles of healthy living, respect for the environment, and product quality
- promote and relaunch awareness and information interventions on the importance of proper nutrition, in particular, on the need to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables
- promote and re-launch awareness and information measures on the risks deriving from excessive and / or not responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages
- promote awareness and information measures aimed at promoting the reduction of the dietary consumption of salt
- develop reformulation interventions aimed at improving the nutritional characteristics of appropriately identified COOP brand products, such as, for example, interventions to reduce the salt content
- disseminate information relating to national strategies and to issues of priority interest in the field of health promotion and prevention.
Footnotes
(1) On the risks related to excessive salt consumption see also
