Consumer, Nutrition and Health

Nutrition and Health

While improving nutritional habits and healthy living is a fundamental problem for all societies, it is affected by many different socioeconomic and environmental factors. Food and beverage industry has many different tools that can be used to deal with this problem. TGDF aims to inform and raise awareness of consumers about sufficient and balanced nutrition, packed foods and product label details.

Promoting balanced diets and healthy living

The methods used by producers to promote healthy diets and lifestyles must be based upon realistic scientific data. For instance, food and beverage producers should conduct activities to voluntarily modify and reformulate existing products and reduce certain nutrients (salt) contained in products as well as increase other nutrients (vitamins and minerals) at the same time. Turkish food and beverage industry continues to increase the reformulation and strengthening activities as much as possible, however; it should not be overlooked that there are many legal and technical obstacles at this point. The target of TGDF is to increase the production of high quality foods with reduced oil, sugar and salt etc. to develop new foods that encourage healthy living. Also, it continues to work with the Ministry of Health to encourage physical activity. It maintains its cooperation with the relevant authorities and organizations regarding nutrition and nutrition-related diseases (obesity, diabetics, cardiovascular diseases…).

Informing consumers

Clear and easy-to-understand labeling applications enable consumers to make smarter choices by providing them with information about the foods that they need. TGDF makes a call for pragmatic assessment approach to demonstrate whether or not producers meet labeling requirements or add new value to consumers. It continues its efforts to remove the negative perception about packed products with scientific data by fighting information pollution with arguments based on scientific data and research results. In addition, it encourages all relevant parties to take necessary measures and develop advertising and marketing activities in a way that will enable consumers to make right choices according to international practices.

Compliance of nutrition and health statements

As part of the EU harmonization process, TGDF maintains its regulation activities to ensure compliance of the industry with the studies conducted by public authorities. It supports the decisions on nutrition and health statements that aim to create a list of statements in compliance with the EU criteria. In this way, it will be possible to provide an environment where food manufacturers can make innovations, compete equally and also provide benefits to consumers.

Working in collaboration

As a close follower of the ‘‘Turkey Healthy Nutrition and Active Life Program’’ which is jointly managed by the Turkish Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization; TGDF conducts activities aimed at limiting or reversing the current increase trend of obesity and other chronic disorders.