NUTRITIONAL FOOD SECTOR CHALLENGES

The framework of the Alimentaria Food Fair in April 2014 witnessed the second Forum Nestlé Creating Shared Value, which highlighted the need to address the nutritional challenges of the XXI century.

The need to define these challenges in nutrition was already marked in the previous edition of the Nestle Forum 2012, in its findings establishing three key performance areas: efficient management of water resources; improving the conditions of the base of the production chain represented farmers and ranchers; and nutrition oriented to the demands of the new consumer with healthy and quality products.

Thus, the increase of the population, especially in developing regions, the degenerative aging result of increased life expectancy, malnutrition and obesity are the main problems faced jointly and food businesses institruciones public. The purpose of the meeting was to share the nutritional challenges that arise in the current and future socio-demographic context, changes in consumer habits and analyze how to address eficicientemente from the food sector.

Food, health, nutrition and sustainability were the axis on which the various lectures, presentations and discussions of reputable professionals and industry analysts, moderated by journalist and director of the Institute of Business Communication, Manuel Campo Vidal. Creating Shared Value in order to create a better society, must be, in the words of Campo Vidal "an act of reflection, communication and commitment by the entire food sector."

José María Sumsi, who was deputy director of the FAO, expressed concern about the changes in nutritional guidelines, facing the challenge of "feed a more urban population, more elderly and more purchasing power." The forecasts are disturbing: in 2050 will support Earth 9500 million, with an urban population of 75% compared to 48% today. A per capita income expected to double, a food demand will require higher by 70% at present. Malnutrition constitutes a serious social problem both by deficient or excessive (chronic obesity). Therefore, "the role of the food industry is key to estimate that 85% of food consumed on a transformed", which implies greater investment in R + D + i "on the relationship between food and health, moving from individually the general interest of society "field.

One proposal would be to create a National Council on Nutrition and Health formed by government, consumer associations, societies nutrition and food industries, supported by independent scientists, as exemplified by proposals such as the Codex Alimentarius of FAO. The sector can and should contribute to the response to these new social needs through research and development of products with improved nutritional profiles, enhancing the productive tools and the environmental sustainability.

The serious problem of chronic obesity, especially childhood, he was approached by a professor at the University of Liverpool and president of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Food Science, Lluís Serra-Majém, who expressed concern over the alarming increase figures of childhood obesity because of the national economic crisis, according to the Ministry of Health, obesity has increased in the most impoverished classes going from 14 to 22% in the period 2003-2011. Professor Serra-Majém stressed the difficulty of combating this public health problem, although he stressed the responsibility of industry and commitment through collaboration programs with institutions in addition to guidelines as reformulating products using healthy ingredients and less caloric intake; to refer to the Commercial Code PAOS self-control and health promotion; well as promoting good practice and ethical codes embedded in the policies of Corporate Social Responsanilidad companies.

Finally, the conference Professor of Clinical Nutrition Tommy Cederholm, focused on the problems caused by population aging in Europe and habits related to health of older people. Cederholm active aging advocates controlling the "degenerative loss preventive treatments that combine best-the power back to the Mediterranean diet- with intense and regular physical activity."

The 2nd Forum Neste Creating Shared Value, was a pioneer and significant professional awareness on Nutrition meeting. The responsibility of the food industry therefore depends collaboration and working together with public institutions and various industry players to respond to the needs of society in the XXI century.

+info:

• Forum CVC: http://www.empresa.nestle.es/es/cvc/nestle/foro-cvc-nestle-espana