In this month’s profile on the Produce Marketing Association, the US trade association for fruit and vegetables, PMA participates in key meetings with US government officials to represent the interests of the industry in the policy decision-making process.

With increasing fruit and vegetable consumption as one of its strategic goals, the Produce Marketing Association has been working with US government agencies and food and health officials to raise the profile of produce in both the US Food Guide Pyramid and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

In comments sent to the US department of agriculture, PMA urged USDA to make fruit and vegetables the base of the pyramid, thereby reinforcing fresh produce’s role as the foundation of a healthy diet.

“Of all the foods on the pyramid, fruit and vegetables are under-consumed. And with the consumption recommendation likely to go to five to 13 servings a day, we have to take steps to change that,” says PMA vice president of government relations Kathy Means.

“Certainly the industry plays a role in promoting consumption, and it is important for the government to do everything it can to move the needle. One way USDA can help is by featuring fruit and vegetables prominently in whatever graphic they choose to use.”

Within the USDA’s core messages and its Framework of the Food Guidance System’s consumer educational component, are messages intended to result in behavioural changes.

These messages advise consumers to balance calories in and out; promote nutrient-dense foods to increase the intake of vitamins, minerals, fibre and other key nutrients; lower chronic disease risks by lowering intake of saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, and other food components that are consumed in excessive amounts.

Means says that fruit and vegetables fit each of those messages due to their low calorie and sodium content; their lack of saturated fat, trans fat, or cholesterol; and their high vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient content.

Linked to the Food Guide Pyramid are the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Recently, PMA submitted comments to the US department of health and human services, praising the department’s work in increasing the prominence of fruits and vegetables in the new dietary guidelines.

“These dietary guidelines set the foundation for federal feeding programmes and nutrition professionals around the country,” says Means.

“Having the recommendation of five to 13 servings of fruit and vegetables a day is based on sound science and it is achievable. The produce industry, working together with nutritionists and others interested in building a healthy America, must find ways to turn these guidelines into consumer actions.”

Citing the obesity crisis and rising rates of chronic, diet-related illnesses, PMA commended officials for the guidelines’ emphasis on replacing nutrient-poor foods with nutrient-rich foods.

Means explains that the guidelines have great value in their application to individual consumer behaviour.

She says many organisations, in addition to the federal agencies, can help promote the guidelines via federal food, nutrition education, and information programmes.

PMA also addressed the challenge of educating consumers on the concept of portion sizes in its comments.

While consumers understand they need to eat more fruit and vegetables, Means explains that many consumers are baffled when trying to determine a portion size. “Everyone working with the guidelines must redouble their efforts to convey this in clear, concise ways so that consumers can act on this important piece of advice,” she says.

Another component of the dietary guidelines focused on washing fruit and vegetables. On October 18, during PMA’s Fresh Summit 2004 in Anaheim, California, PMA will officially unveil a new safe-produce-handling consumer education campaign, developed by PMA and the Partnership for Food Safety Education.

PMA believes that industry, government, and consumers have key roles to play in food safety.

Recognising the importance of raising awareness of consumer food-safety education programmes among key Congressional leaders, PMA president Bryan Silbermann joined Means at a special briefing hosted by the Partnership for Food Safety Education for the Congressional Food Safety Caucus, in Washington, DC.

Silbermann said: “PMA has been a long-standing supporter of the partnership’s consumer outreach efforts. The fresh produce industry is committed to providing consumers with the safest, freshest, and most nutritious fruit and vegetables, and has made food safety its top priority.

“We are very pleased to have been able to help the partnership develop its produce-specific messages, and look forward to working on future programmes with them.”