MyPlate US consumption tool

Chiquita has announced that it has become a national strategic partner with the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Nutrition Communicator's Network, in order to promote dietary guidelines and the country's new food icon, MyPlate.

As a partner, and one of the first national fresh produce groups to join the initiative, Chiquita has said that it will work to promote MyPlate and the dietary guidelines to help consumers think differently about their food choices, starting with 'Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables.'

'As part of Chiquita's commitment to improving world nutrition, we are proud to partner with USDA to promote healthier diets,' said Fernando Aguirre, chairman and chief executive officer at Chiquita. 'The MyPlate program and the 'Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables' message makes it easier than ever for consumers to understand how to make healthier food choices and maintain well-balanced diets. We look forward to working together to help advance better nutrition.'

As a new USDA national strategic partner, Chiquita said it would promote product nutrition information based upon the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, disseminate the US Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) dietary guideline messages, and participate in CNPP sessions to develop and execute a joint strategic nutrition promotion plan.

'Companies like Chiquita are helping consumers understand how and why choosing fruits and vegetables and other smart food choices can improve health and are an important part of our promotion and partnership efforts,' said Dr Robert Post, deputy director for the USDA Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. 'That's because, by working together, we can double the efforts to empower consumers with the simple how-tos that help them put the Dietary Guidelines into action.'

Chiquita will begin by placing the MyPlate icon on its healthy snacking products across North America to point consumers to the place where they can get science-based nutrition guidance, with its Chiquita Bites line the first to carry the MyPlate icon later this year.

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