New Choices International Product Criteria launched

June 10th, 2015

Today the new Choices International Product Criteria are presented. The Choices International criteria are revised every four years to motivate food industry to keep improving its products. The revision is based on new nutrition insights and recommendations, on new technologies and on trends in the market. Over the past months the Choices International Scientific Committee, composed of independent leading food and nutrition experts, has been working hard to come up with an improved, and where possible, stricter set of criteria to facilitate healthier choices. While being in dialogue with the food industry, they determined the criteria in full independence. The main changes in the criteria are a decrease in the maximum level or salt and sugar in a number of food groups, the expression of all figures in (m)g per 100g or 100ml, and the shift of fruit juices from the basic food group to the non-basic food group due to their contribution to sugar intake. The new criteria are a major reference for the product criteria of the national Choices Programmes and can be used as a benchmark to foster innovation in the food sector. The International Scientific Committee appreciates sharing and discussing the criteria with other labeling systems and companies, to learn and to cooperate. An explanation of the 2015 product criteria revision can be found here.

Czech National Scientific Committee inaugurated

May 27th, 2015

The Czech National Scientific Committee (CNSC) was inaugurated in Prague on Tuesday, May 19th  2015, under the auspices of the Vím, co jím a piju foundation.  The CNSC is composed of Czech renowned experts in preventive medicine, nutrition, and food science, as well as representatives of governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

The main role of the CNSC will be the creation and administration of a national set of product criteria of the Choices Programme that is used for the logo Vím, co jím certification. Criteria for the individual food groups, which are determined by the International Scientific Committee on the basis of contemporary scientific research regarding the effect of diet composition on human health, may require minor adjustments at national level. The need for change in the criteria may produce different eating habits at local level, possibly the specific composition of the food on the Czech market or levels of risk nutrient intake within the Czech population.

The criteria should be motivating for food producers and aim to help food product reformulations to reduce the content of risk nutrients in different food groups.  The CNSC works on the basis of verified data based on scientific evidence.  Its role will consist, inter alia, also on directing the programme Vim, co jím a piju. The foundation of CNSC increases the prestige of Vím, co jím a piju within the Czech Republic and will reinforce its importance in the context of public engagement as a preventive programme to combat the development of non-communicable diseases of mass occurrence.

Chair-woman of the CNSC Prof. Ing. Jana Dostálová, CSc. draws the attention to the serious eating-habit problems in the Czech Republic: “More than half of Czechs are overweight and obese. A fundamental problem in their diet is an inappropriate composition and irregular eating habits. We have excessive energy intake due to excess fat and simple sugar in food. By contrast, we have an insufficient intake of fruit and vegetables, and we indulge ourselves in eating too much salt.”

CNSC supports better lifestyle
The newly created CNSC  wants to contribute to the nationwide debate on improving eating habits and to participate in the policy-making that would lead to improved lifestyle and the prevention of NCDs related to nutrition. The CNSC also seeks to assist food companies with the development of new formulations and innovations of food products in order to improve their nutritional value.

“We believe that the foundation of the CNSC will lead to increased transparency and awareness of the logo Vím, co jím within the Czech Republic. We strive for the logo Vím, co jím to become widely used, respected and a credible symbol for quality and nutritionally valuable foods." says the director of the initiative Vím, co jím a piju Ing. Lucie González.

The founding members of the National Scientific Committee Vím, co jím a piju are:

Chairwoman of the National Scientific Committee

• Prof. Ing. Jana Dostálová, CSc.
  Food technologist, co-author of dietary recommendations for the Czech Republic, Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, Vice-President of the Society for Nutrition, expert of Vím, co jím a piju, member of the Forum of healthy nutrition

Deputy Chairman of the National Scientific Committee

• MUDr. Petr Hlavatý, Ph.D.
  An obesity, endokrinologist, OB Clinic, Endokrinologist Institut, expert of  Vím, co jím a piju.

Members:

• Prof. MUDr. Věra Adámková, CSc.
  Internist, cardiologist, Head of the Preventive Cardiology IKEM, 1st and 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering of the Czech Technical University, member of the Board of Directors of the Society for Nutrition
• Mgr. Alexandra Košťálová
  Nutritionist, Centre for Public Health Promotion, National Institute of Health
• MVDr. Halina Matějová
  Member of the Presidium of the Society for Nutrition, Department of Health Promotion and Protection, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno
• MUDr. Jan Piťha, CSc.
  Preventive cardiologist, director of the Laboratory for Atherosclerosis Research CEM ICEM, chairman of the Forum of healthy nutrition
• Ing. Jan Pivoňka, Ph.D.
  Food technologist, Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, EUROFINS, scientific secretary of the Czech Technology Platform for Food
• Doc. MUDr. Michal Vrablík, Ph.D.
  internist, preventive cardiologist, chairman of the Czech Society for Atherosclerosis, 3rd Internal Clinic of 1st LF UK and VFN

Members of the Advisory Board of the National Scientific Committee

• MUDr. Marie Nejedlá
  Head of the Center for promotion of public health, the National Health Institute
• MUDr. Alena Šteflová, Ph.D., MPH
  Director of the WHO Office in Czech Republic
• MUDr. Petr Tláskal, CSc.
  Pediatrician, President of Nutrition team and constitutional Motol Hospital dietitian, President of the Society for Nutrition

Polish Scientific Committee of „Wiem, co Wybieram” programme has been established

May 8th, 2015

6th May, 2015, in Warsaw the first meeting of the „Wiem, co Wybieram” Polish Scientific Committee (PSC) took place. The decision to create the Scientific Committee in Poland demonstrates a serious commitment of the Choices Foundation in the next country in efforts for the prevention of lifestyle diseases and obesity. Such a step is dictated by increasing incidence of such diseases among Polish society.

During the meeting, PSC discussed key objectives and tasks for the next two years. Among them were the conditions of operation of the committee, adaptation of international criteria and start building up national criteria for categorization of products and the need for a discussion on a drafted criteria with the food industry and the European Scientific Council of the Choices International Foundation. They discussed the need to create in the near future a legal entity in Poland of the Foundation  “Wiem, co Wybieram”.

The Polish Scientific Council comprises leading independent scientists from esteemed universities:

• Prof. Assoc. Danuta Kołożyn-Krajewska - Chairman of the Scientific Council; Warsaw University Of Life Sciences, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, President of the Polish Food Technologist Society
• Assoc. Krystyna Rejman - Warsaw University Of Life Sciences, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences
• Prof. Assoc. Anna Brzozowska - Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Department of Human Nutrition, Human Nutrition Science Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN)
• Prof. Assoc. Anna Gronowska-Senger - Warsaw University Of Life Sciences, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Polish Society of Nutritional Sciences (PTNŻ)
• Dr. Magdalena Montowska - Poznan University of Life Sciences, Institute of Meat Technology, Human Nutrition Science Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN)
• Assoc. Eng. Jolanta Czarnocińska - Chair of Department of Human Nutrition Hygiene, Poznan University of Life Sciences
• Prof. Assoc. Magdalena Olszanecka-Glinianowicz - Health Promotion and Obesity Management Unit, Medical University of Silesia

The area of interest of the members of the Scientific Council is broad and covers a range of issues, among others, dietetics and nutrition, food technology and consumer behavior. The meeting was attended by Léon Jansen and Rutger Schilpzand representing the Choices International Foundation, who appreciate the high motivation of the PSC members to act and to get involved.