5+ A Day Charitable Trust is worried that media reports wrongly suggesting Kiwi consumers require less than five portions of fruit and vegetables each day are misleading, confusing and not in the interest of public wellbeing. General manager Paula Dudley says global and local coverage of a study published in the Lancet is misinterpreted and suggests fewer servings are enough. “If you read the research carefully, it all comes down to portion size. At 5+ A Day we recommend at least five or more servings of colourful fruit and vegetables as being beneficial for your health. This equates to roughly 400g, which is recommended by the World Health Organisation and our Ministry of Health. The research reported on in the article (the PURE study) in fact suggests eating the equivalent of 375-500g, so this is actually recommending eating on average more than we do. It is certainly not the case that this debunks the principles behind 5+ A Day.” Awareness of the 5+ A Day message remains high, with cut through to 87% of all New Zealanders - equating to more than 4 million people. “Compared to global statistics on fruit and vegetable consumption, we rate among the highest in the world,” Dudley says. FRUIT AND VEGES HELP FOR COELIACS Victoria University is the first tertiary institution to achieve Coeliac accreditation in New Zealand, thanks to a partnership between Compass Group New Zealand and Coeliac New Zealand. Compass, which provides food to the university’s six Halls of Residence, has passed independent auditing company SGS’s gluten-free accreditation, with group dietitian Margaret Thorson saying 12% of the 20% of residents who have special dietary requirements need gluten-free food. “Providing safe food for residents is essential for their wellbeing and the success of their studies,” Thorson says. “The programme has given us added confidence around managing safe gluten-free food service throughout our kitchens and dining halls.” The accreditation includes delivery, storage, food preparation, cleaning, serving and communication. Coeliac New Zealand general manager Dana Alexander says its Dining Out Programme provides the food service industry with the knowledge and skills to prepare safe gluten-free food, free from the risk of cross-contamination via utensils or food-prep surfaces. FOOD FOR BEARS Honey flavoured peanut butter from Fix and Fog, Burundi honey processed coffee from Flight Coffee and beer from Yeastie Boys will assist in saving bears around the world. The trio have joined a group of Wellington businesses supporting the charity Free the Bears, which rehabilitates captured animals back into natural environments around the world. Organiser Samantha Jones says an idea to create a teeshirt sharing her passion for conservation and animal welfare has turned into a major campaign. All the merchandise made by Jones’ Little Yellow Bird design company will use Fairtrade and organic cotton, so it is important to partner with other ventures sharing a commitment to sustainable sourcing. “Almost all environmental and animal welfare violations can be linked back to poverty, so it’s important that we recognise this and utilise our collective buying power to change it,” she says. Free the Bears protects, preserves and enriches the lives of bears, and has saved more than 900 over 20 years. One hundred percent of profits from the Bear Supporters Pack will go directly to the charity. www.littleyellowbird.co.nz
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