Frozen vegetable and frozen fruit producers, as well as all of our wholesalers, will be aware of the Federation’s constant activity to ensure that any initiatives persuading children or adults to eat more fruit and vegetables should include frozen because of the vitamin retention and innate ‘freshness’ of our industry’s products.

I have recently participated in a Department of Health ‘Think Tank’, headed by the Minister, Yvette Cooper, to formulate plans to persuade children and adults to eat ‘Five A Day’ portions of fruit and vegetables which was very positive generally and which resulted in DOH fully accepting that frozen fruit and vegetables were totally acceptable in the schemes which would be formulated.  I hope to be highly involved in their future plans.

We have now had absolute confirmation that fruit and vegetables can help in the fight against cancer and absolute confirmation that frozen fruit and vegetables have their part to play.

Joint Health Claims Initiative (JHCI)

Seven leading scientists who advise the Joint Health Claims Initiative (JHCI) have supported the contribution of fruit and vegetables to a healthy lifestyle and to avoiding stomach, lung and bowel cancer. Consumers can welcome this new and independent assessment because it comes from an organisation, which is not directed by the food industry or by government.

The Joint Health Claims Initiative [JHCI] (an independent organisation consisting of representatives from consumers, food law enforcers and the food industry) has received the advice of the leading scientists who have been assessing all relevant scientific information. They have concluded that eating fruit and vegetables contributes to the healthy lifestyle of people who are less likely to suffer some site-specific cancers.

JHCI has adopted and published its advice that such claims are accurate and will help consumers make wise dietary choices. . However, such claims cannot currently be made on foods or in food advertising because of the prohibition on so called "medicinal claims" which is a feature of UK and EU food law. JHCI believes this prohibition is outdated and that the law is long overdue for amendment, in this respect.

The Chairman of JHCI, Roger Manley, O.B.E. said, "Examination of all the evidence and an independent decision is of value to consumers. They can rely on our careful and thorough assessment of the facts. Many consumers say they want good and reliable advice about improving their health by choosing foods wisely." Roger Manley continued, "We at JHCI intend to help them make the choice by giving unbiased and truthful information. However, we think the present law is too restrictive when such valuable and accurate information as this cannot be given to consumers when they are shopping and making food choices. There are signs that the thinking in governmental circles both here and in the EU is moving towards the changes we want. This new look at the scientific facts will provide evidence, which should speed up the necessary changes".

An essential part of the evidence on lung cancer emphasises that no protection is afforded to smokers by eating more fruit – unless, of course, they stop smoking.

Generic Claim Assessment

It should be noted, of course, that the Committee noted that the health impact of eating more fruit and vegetables depends on the rest of the diet as well as other lifestyle factors such as exercise.

Crucially, JHCI find that the substantiating evidence relates to a variety of fruits and vegetables, including fresh, canned, frozen, juiced and dried fruit and vegetables except potatoes and pulses.

Importantly, there is insufficient evidence to specify individual types of fruits and vegetables or their dietary components so the object of the exercise is to promote higher consumption of all varieties of fruit and vegetables.

Current dietary guidelines promote an intake of at least 5 servings of a variety of fruit and vegetables per day, although, it should be noted, any increase in intake would be expected to be beneficial.

Specific Substantiation of Health Claims

JHCI addressed two particular generic health claims.

Firstly, eating more fruit and vegetables may help reduce the risk of stomach cancer.

Secondly, eating more vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle may help reduce the risk of bowel cancer.

They decided, in both cases, that the totality of the evidence substantiates the health claim in both cases.

Finally, they found that eating more fruit depends on the rest of the diet and that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that an increased consumption of fruit mitigates the effects of smoking, which is hardly surprising.

A Legal Technicality  

There is still just one problem to overcome.  This is a technicality but it is the view of JHCI that although their Expert Committee has substantiated the linkage that lies behind the following claim, it CANNOT be used in food labelling or advertising at present.  This is due to the prohibition on medicinal claims in European food law.  In the UK, that prohibition is to be found in the Food Labelling Regulations 1996/Regulation 40 and Schedule 6.

However, more positively, JHCI is making this information available in support of its policy that the current law should be changed as it prohibits such factually correct and useful information from appearing on food labels or in food advertising.  JHCI has brought to the attention of the regulatory bodies and enforcement agencies all the above information and we are joining with them in ensuring that this barrier to such a positive health initiative is being removed.  We are sure that UK Government will support the removal of the barrier, as it is totally contrary to Mrs. Coopers public message and Government funding towards ‘Five A Day’.

For more information:

JHCI website:  www.jhci.org.uk

BFFF Tel: 01476 515300