25 November 2009
Tiger Brands has embarked on a proactive campaign to improve consumer awareness when it comes to nutrition, and to help consumers make informed, healthy purchasing decisions.
We spoke to Bongiwe Njobe, the Tiger Brands Executive Director for Corporate Sustainability to find out more:
What is the Eat Well Live Well campaign all about?
The campaign has been launched by Tiger Brands and is intended to assist the consumer in selecting and purchasing food products that represent the healthier option. The campaign will also enable the consumer to plan meals for the family that are healthier. The campaign comprises of 2 parts:
(1) The Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) table which indicates the content of five nutrients that one needs to monitor in a portion of a food or drink. The nutrients are also expressed as a percentage (%) of the recommended maximum in an adult’s diet. The standard GDA for these nutrients is merely a guideline and not a target. The five nutrients are energy, sugars, fat, saturates (saturated fat) and salt.
(2) The Eat Well Live Well (EWLW) nutritional seal which is carried only on Tiger Brand products which are the ‘healthier’ choice for consumers to include in their shopping basket. The criteria for products to carry the EWLW seal were developed by the Nutrition Information Centre of the University of Stellenbosch (NICUS).
Together these make up a labelling system that will assist the consumer in his or her food shopping choices and meal plans.
Why have you launched it this November?
Some products within the Tiger Brands stable are already on shelf with the EWLW symbol and the Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) table and even more products are entering the market. November is an introduction to key media stakeholders of the initiative but a full marketing campaign will launch in January.
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How will consumers know when they are buying an Eat Well Live Well product?
They will see the Eat Well Live Well symbol on front of pack, supported by the Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) table on the front or back of the pack.
What measure is used to ensure that these products are healthy enough to carry the Eat Well Live Well logo?
The criteria for products to comply to carry the Eat Well Live Well symbol have been developed by the Nutrition Information Centre of the University of Stellenbosch (NICUS). All Tiger Brands products have been audited against these criteria for compliance and only those that qualify to the criteria will carry the EWLW symbol.
The criteria are based on a set of dietary recommendations set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the prevention of diet-related chronic diseases, taking into account guidelines and scientific insights of key global role players.
What is the Guidance Daily Amount (GDA) label?
The GDA (Guideline Daily Amount) Table is a simplified easy to read Nutritional Information table which suggests the amount of key nutrients in food that consumers need to monitor. It guides consumers as to what percentage of each nutrient they are eating per serving portion of the particular product. Care should be taken that an adult should not consume more of a particular nutrient in a full day.
Why is it important to have a healthy, well balanced diet from a young age?
The old adage “you are what you eat”, was first coined in 1826, to describe the fact that the food one eats has a bearing on the state of one’s mind and health. This is especially true in children, where the optimum development of a child depends on food. There is considerable evidence that nutritional factors can play key roles in the development of disease and illness, and that the diet can hold the key to overcoming health issues.
The body consists of millions of cells which require a regular supply of daily nutrients in order to function optimally. Food affects all of these cells, including how the body functions, one’s mood, energy levels, thinking capacity and mental state. Providing the body with the correct nutrients enables it to function properly leading to a healthful body and mind. The body is able to produce some nutrients but the essential nutrients are nutrients that can not be synthesized by the body, and that one can only obtain from food.
Can you give us a couple of examples of Tiger Brands products which carry the Eat Well Live Well logo?
Tastic rice, Ace Maize Meal, Jungle Oats and Albany White Low GI bread.
What are you hoping to achieve by running the Eat Well Live Well campaign?
Tiger Brands takes seriously its responsibility to promote healthier foods and to educate our consumers to make healthier food choices. In so doing, we hope to empower consumers to make healthier food choices for themselves and their families.
