CDC Making Fruits, Veggies Count During 5 A Day Month

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is harnessing this month’s annual 5 A Day Month celebration to make sure consumers get the message about how many fruits and vegetables they need to eat daily for better health. The theme of this year’s celebration from the federal government’s 5 A Day program leader is “Fruits and Veggies Count: Do You Know What You Need?” While the release of the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans was well publicized last year, consumers are still learning how to achieve them, including how many fruits and vegetables they need to eat daily. This year’s celebration theme is designed to educate consumers about how many servings they need, and to provide simple tips for enjoying more of these healthy foods. CDC has developed themed tools to help its network of 5 A Day program coordinators spread the word in their states, including a model press release and consumer brochures. The agency has also just updated the government’s 5 A Day program Web site, www.5aday.gov, to include interactive tools to help different types of consumers determine their exact fruit and vegetable goals. This year’s celebration theme will also help set the stage for next year’s unveiling to consumers of the new Fruits & Veggies—More Matters brand.

The new Fruits & Veggies—More Matters brand is really going to get around! You can help the new brand go places too, and in the process become eligible to win a global positioning system (GPS) of your very own. Here’s how the sweepstakes works: Pick up a Fruits & Veggies—More Matters button at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit information desk, Oct. 20-24 in San Diego (or if not in attendance at the PMA Fresh Summit, click here and we’ll send you a botton.) Send a picture of you wearing the button – the more exotic the locale, the better – and send it to PBH by Jan. 31, 2007. Entries will be judged on the button’s visibility in the photo, and the photo’s creativity and location (please do be careful out there). The grand-prize winner will be announced at PBH’s March 2007 Board of Trustees meeting (see related story, below). The winning entrant will receive a gift certificate for a GPS navigation system. PBH may use photos in advertising or other promotions. For more information, view contest details. If not attending PMA's Fresh Summit, contact PBH to learn how to receive contest buttons. 

To encourage foodservice industry chefs to put produce first when developing menus, PBH and Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will host the second Produce First! American Menus Initiative Jan. 21, 2007.  The event is designed to spark the imaginations of chefs and foodservice operators to put produce front and center in new menu development. The 2007 Produce First! American Menus Initiative will immediately follow the annual Worlds of Healthy Flavors Invitational Leadership Retreat, which is a joint project of CIA and Harvard School of Public Health being held Jan. 18-20 in Napa, Calif. Both programs are by invitation only, and will include 30-35 of the most influential corporate chefs from chain restaurants, hotels, volume foodservice and supermarket foodservice in the United States. To sponsor this important foodservice outreach event, contact PBH Vice President of Development Claudia Wenzing. Learn more by viewing 2006 Produce First! event proceedings and recipes.

Spring 2007 PBH Meeting, Gala Dates Announced

Mark your calendars now! PBH will hold its 2007 spring meetings of Board of Trustees and committees at San Francisco’s historic Palace Hotel March 16-18, 2007.  Please note these new meeting dates, as dates have changed since first being announced. Meeting attendees are also invited to attend PBH’s launch to the press and public of the new Fruits & Veggies—More Matters brand on March 19. 

The meetings will break Saturday, March 17 for PBH’s annual Celebration of Life gala auction and dinner dance. For more information about the 2007 gala, visit PBH’s gala Web site. For more information on supporting and participating in PBH with board-level membership, contact PBH Vice President of Development Claudia Wenzing.

A diet high in various fruits and vegetables might have a protective effect against allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, in adulthood. The study, reported by Kompauer and colleagues in Public Health Nutrition investigated dietary and lifestyle habits of the population of Bavaria, Germany. In a subset of 547 adults, several indicators of antioxidant intake in the blood, called biomarkers, were measured including carotenoids, vitamin C and vitamin E. Results indicated that higher levels of total carotenoids in the blood were associated with lower prevalence of allergic rhinitis. The lowest prevalence was in those adults who had the highest blood levels of total carotenoids, which indicate a higher intake of fruits and vegetables. Although the relationship between allergic rhinitis and antioxidants has previously been suggested, there is little evidence to support it thus far. The results of this study suggest that further research is warranted, and that antioxidants in fruits and vegetables may play an important role in reducing this common malady. (Source: Kompauer et al, Public Health Nutrition; vol. 9, no. 4, June 2006, pp. 472-479 (8). For more information view the study abstract.)

PBH is pleased to recognize the following companies who joined or renewed their memberships in support of the foundation Aug. 21-Sept. 1. Your generous contributions help support PBH’s many activities to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. To find out how you can support PBH, and grow your business in the process, contact PBH Vice President of Development Claudia Wenzing.

Back in 1968 when Rod and Bob Grimm set up their first roadside produce stand, the brothers made a promise: always take care of the customer. Three decades later, that promise has never been broken. Grimmway’s consistent quality and dependable service have made them the worldwide market share leader. Yet no matter the size and scope of Grimmway today, they believe in staying with the basics: provide good value at an honest price and do business with integrity – the guidelines for every Grimmway employee. Grimmway believes in servicing customers on a personal level, working together to find solutions. Today’s consumers want products that are innovative and exciting and also nutritious. That’s why Grimmway partners with customers to develop marketable new product ideas and creative selling strategies that break new ground for the future. Furthermore, being the industry leader brings responsibility. Grimmway’s dedication to innovation extends far beyond farming practice to processing technology and packaging solutions that create value for the customer. When you give Grimmway the chance to prove commitment and integrity, you’ll never be disappointed. For more information, visit Grimmway.