Two new reports paint a picture of America’s nutrition dire situation. Investor groups want change.
Leila Fadell, Host:
Two new reports paint a picture of America’s nutrition dire situation. And it’s a food that stocks many US grocery shelves. This is not a new problem. But as NPR’s Allison Aubrey reports, what’s new is the momentum of change.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: Is there a display you can’t miss when you walk into a grocery store this time of year?
ANNA HERFORTH: Of course – all Halloween treats.
AUBREY: Anna Herforth from TH Chan School of Public Health. Her research with Gallup provides a new snapshot of Americans’ eating habits.
HERFORTH: What we found is that about 28% of Americans eat any amount of all food groups recommended by the US Dietary Guidelines.
AUBREY: Even fewer people are eating recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and more. The problem is that there is a huge discrepancy between the foods we are told to eat and the most abundant and affordable foods on store shelves.
HERFORTH: You know, there’s a long tradition of holding individuals accountable for making healthy eating choices.
AUBREY: It’s not just Halloween candy. Researchers at the Access to Nutrition Initiative analyzed approximately 11,000 products from major food companies such as Kellogg’s, General Mills, Unilever, Kraft Heinz and Nestle. They found that about 70% did not meet the healthy threshold.
Group executive director Greg Garrett said many companies have promised changes, but so far have seen little progress.
GREG GARRETT: Sorry. It’s a disappointing discovery that after four years of his involvement with these food companies, the overall product portfolio hasn’t changed and isn’t as healthy as it used to be.
AUBREY: Many of the companies included in the new report disagree. Kraft Heinz, for example, points to a 40% reduction in sugar in its kid-favorite Capri Sun drink. But critics argue that incremental change isn’t enough now that diet-related illnesses are the leading cause of death. So Greg Garrett and his team want to use the power of investors to encourage companies to sell healthier food.
GARRETT: We’ve been working to build a coalition of investors. These are institutional investors and we strongly believe that change needs to be seen at the highest level.
Aubrey: The pandemic has put the impact of diet-related illnesses in the spotlight. People with diabetes and heart disease were more likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID. Garrett says as awareness grows, more investors will take interest and aim for better performance. You are investing in a company.
GARRETT: Over the next few years, we look forward to working with the 80 or so investors who signed up to see the CEOs of these companies make a difference on their boards.
Aubrey: Easier said than done. But Lauren Compaire, managing director of an impact investment firm called Boston Common Asset Management, said investors could pursue different strategies. Marketing of healthy options.
LAUREN COMPERE: You have to look at the kind of pressure points in all of them.
AUBREY: She cites one recent example from Unilever, a UK-based company that owns multiple ice cream brands, including Ben and Jerry’s. A coalition of shareholder activists has submitted a resolution calling for greater transparency in the food Unilever sells. Unilever has agreed to publish an independent assessment instead of using its own definition of health. The company also announced new goals earlier this year to increase the percentage of healthier foods it sells.
Alison Aubrey, NPR News.
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