Hon Pete Hodgson
Minister of Health

22 July 2007 Media Statement

Improving nutritional value of hot chips

Minister of Health Pete Hodgson has today announced funding for the Chip Group to improve the nutritional value of hot chips. The Chip Group is made up of food industry representatives and the National Heart Foundation and is working on a three-year programme to make takeaway chips healthier.

"Hot chips are eaten at least once a week by almost half of New Zealand adults in the most recent national nutrition survey. If we can reduce the fat and salt content of hot chips, it will make a significant contribution to improving New Zealander’s food intake,” Pete Hodgson said

The Chip Group will research variations in frying practices around New Zealand to help chip shops reduce the fat content of their chips by up to 20 per cent.

"If we are to continue getting to the root of the obesity epidemic this country is facing, we must change the environment. Given that one in three New Zealand children are overweight and one in ten are obese, this Government knew that one of the ways we could improve overweight and obesity statistics was to change food environments."

Pete Hodgson says there's still a way to go before we 'fix' the obesity problem, but the Labour-led Government is committed to Healthy Eating - Healthy Action, which is why we're working with groups like the Chip Group and we will continue to do so.

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Background Information

The Chip Group includes Horticulture New Zealand, the Potato Growers of New Zealand, McCain Foods NZ, Mr Chips Ltd, Goodman Fielder Commercial, Moffat Ltd, Huhtamaki Packaging Ltd, Burns and Ferrall Ltd, Bakels Edible Oils (NZ) Ltd, Southern Hospitality, and the National Heart Foundation. The Fishing Industry Council and Auckland Healthcare have been involved in some Chip Group projects.

Some Labour-led Government investments into the fight against obesity:
February 2006
* 27,000 primary school children took part in the Fruit in Schools programme. The programme is part of a wider strategy to help students and their communities and families adopt healthy lifestyles.
May
* $76 million over four years announced in Budget 2006 to fund the largest campaign to fight obesity in New Zealand's history.
* Lancet Editorial notes that NZ is setting the agenda to combat obesity.
July
* Interim evaluation of the Fruit in Schools programme reports students show more positive attitude to healthy food and are more physically active.
September
* The launch of Mission On– a $67 million package focusing on healthy, active young New Zealanders. This includes new guidelines for food served in schools, a major social marketing campaign and changes for the marketing of food to children.
* Auckland school students presented their views and solutions for the issue with 43 Health Ministers from WHO Western Pacific region.
October
* Additional $800,000 investment from the Healthy Eating, Healthy Action Innovation Fund for four new projects to fight obesity at a DHB level. The projects include family activities and smart eating programmes and joins the 16 DHB project started in 2005.
* The Fruit in Schools programme is extended to 154 new Decile One schools to more than double the programme's size to 57,000 students.
* The Cancer Society and Foodstuffs' LiveSmart campaign in 129 New World supermarkets targets the one in two New Zealand adults who do not eat the recommended five plus a day servings of vegetables and fruit.
December
* A voluntary agreement agreed between the government, Coca-Cola Amatil NZ and Frucor Beverages Ltd to remove full sugar fizzy and energy drinks from secondary schools by 2009.
May 2007
* Education and Broadcasting Minister, Steve Maharey and Health Minister Pete Hodgson have agreed with major television broadcasters on a new five-point plan aimed at improving food advertising to children.
* Mission-On Lifestyle Ambassadors named incl John Campbell, Bernice Mene, Indira Moala, Spasific.
June
* Feeding our Futures – three themes: eat with your kids, prepare food together, and milk and water are fine .
July
* Mission-On Student Health Promotion launch
* Launch of the support resources for the Food and Beverage Classification System - Massey High School, West Auckland

ENDS

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