From the Chairman: Now Is the Time to Heed the Call!

As I begin my term as chairman of PBH’s Board of Trustees, PBH is nearing its 20th anniversary and the organization has never been more prepared to make a real difference in changing the diets of Americans!

In 2007 PBH launched a new health initiative, phasing out the old 5 A Day logo and messaging in favor of a new brand based on intake recommendations in the updated 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Fruits and Veggies—More Matters brand was developed to be a long-term call to action for a healthier America.  The message is inspiring, attainable, and easy for people to understand: everyone benefits from eating more fruits and vegetables every day.

This new brand has benefits 5 A Day never had; before its launch it was tested for consumer resonance.  Fruits & Veggies—More Matters was put in front of consumers for their input and opinions before being formally adopted and launched for promotional use. This means we know the new logo and messaging will strike a chord with consumers and motivate them to purchase more fruits and vegetables. For the first time we have a consumer tested tool to increase awareness and change behavior!

Another advantage Fruits & Veggies—More Matters has over the old 5 A Day program — a target demographic.  Instead of a broad, generic message directed at everyone in general, we now have a laser focus on Gen X Moms, the main grocery purchasers and meal preparers for the entire household. We are aiming the core messages of Fruits & Veggies—More Matters directly at them for a more effective use of our public relations and media efforts. 

The time to act is now.  We need every facet of the industry to come together and rally behind Fruits & Veggies—More Matters.  Not just retailers and big produce companies, but all companies, for the bigger picture of improving the health of all Americans.  I encourage all of you, and everyone with a stake in increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, to support the brand.  

More support, YOUR support, of the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters brand really does matter. With your help we can make the second year of Fruits & Veggies—More Matters even more successful than the first.

Mark Munger, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce

March Activities Make the News – Let Us Know What You Did

March was an eventful month marking both National Nutrition Month® and the first anniversary of Fruits & Veggies—More Matters. The North Dakota Department of Health sponsored a Get Smart North Dakota! Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Tip Contest which awarded prizes and recognition to North Dakota families for sharing their original ideas for serving fruits and vegetables. About 70 entries were submitted. The tips show that North Dakota families are committed to including more fruits and vegetables in meals and snacks. For more information, view the eMaxHealth news article online. What did you do to celebrate? Let us know about all your special National Nutrition Month and Fruits & Veggies—More Matters anniversary events and activities by contacting Communications Specialist Jill LeBrasseur.

Other publications also picked up on March festivities. Read what Philadelphia Daily News, in Philadelphia, Pa., The Leader, in Corning, N.Y., and HealthNewsDigest.com had to say! Channel 40 KTXL-TV, the Fox affiliate for Sacramento, Stockton, and Modesto, Calif., aired a short piece on National Nutrition Month that featured an interview with nutritionist Katherine Carmichael and talked about fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. The story is no longer live on their website, but a link to fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org is still available in their quick links section. For a transcript of this news piece, contact Communications Specialist Jill LeBrasseur.

A good deal of media interest was also generated by the recent Gen X Mom custom survey. Some of our survey findings became health facts of the week for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch with this piece running in both the print version (265,111 circulation) and online (1,007,755 unique visitors/month).  The State Journal Register, in Springfield, Ill., also discussed the survey results.

According to the first clippings report, the recent spring matte release, Get Smart about Fruits and Vegetables, has already earned over 7,687,000 impressions.

We are pleased to report that the consumer website is mentioned in the April issue of Self magazine! This mention is great exposure in a top women’s publication. We are also looking forward to Fruits & Veggies—More Matters being mentioned in the May issue of Consumer Reports and the upcoming spring health advertorial in Newsweek. Consumer Reports will refer people to fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org in a sidebar about keeping fruits and vegetables fresh longer that accompanies their review of different refrigerator models, while the focus of the Newsweek advertorial is on diabetes and includes a mention of both Produce for Better Health Foundation and the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters health initiative.

Hot Off the Presses: Consumer News and Blogs Promote Kids’ Website

Millions of consumers have been introduced to FoodChamps.org via stories in printed and online newspapers and bloggers’ comments over the past few weeks.  The Chicago Tribune featured an article on March 5, 2008, that you can still read on their website. The Salt Lake Tribune, Akron-Beacon Journal, The Detroit News, and Suburban Journals also ran stories about the new kids’ website. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Sarasota, Fla., mentioned both National Nutrition Month and FoodChamps.org! Several blogs have mentioned it as well, including Sugar Shock, Low Carb Newsline, Nashville Noise, and PostFun.com, as well as Anthony Burik’s ESL Blog which discusses topics of interest to educators. FoodChamps.org was even mentioned in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s e-newsletter RWJF News Digest.

All of this consumer press attention to FoodChamps.org is in addition to industry coverage by The Packer and others.

New content for the website is currently in development including additional games, a party planning kit, and more. Children have also been uploading their own artwork, but more matters! Have the kids in your life upload their own artwork, then let friends and relatives who don’t live nearby know that they can view the little artists’ work online.

Schnuck Markets Earns Retail Role Model Status

Schnuck Markets is the first retailer to attain Supermarket Retail Role Model honors. The formal announcement was made April 18 at PBH’s Board of Trustees meeting in Monterey. Throughout 2007, Schnuck Markets exhibited a true commitment to support the new Fruits and Veggies—More Matters brand across all areas including: advertising the brand in its weekly circulars, adding a link to fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org from its own website, providing point-of-sale messaging materials, featuring the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters logo in the fresh section and beyond on its private label canned and frozen vegetables, and integrating Fruits & Veggies—More Matters into community outreach activities. For more information, view PBH’s press statement.

Mike O’Brien, vice president of produce and floral for Schnuck Markets, was happy to receive the Retail Role Model designation and said he hopes other retailers step up their Fruits & Veggies—More Matters promotion efforts and become role models as well. For more information about becoming a Supermarket Retail Role Model, view our criteria for being a retail role model or contact PBH Senior Executive of Retail Marketing Bryant Wynes.  

Consumer Website Continues to Add New Features and Content

Officially launched March 19, 2007, PBH’s consumer website, fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org, continues to evolve as new content and enhancements are added.  Go online now and check out some of the over 300 new recipes or the new link buttons that offer ‘save and share’ functionality and were added in direct response to visitor requests.  Other enhancements are on the way – look for the new video center currently on track to debut this summer!
 
The site is packed with information designed to help Moms boost their families’ fruit and vegetable consumption including the latest edition of Get Smart! tips. Don’t forget about the interactive Ask the Expert section where Moms can seek advice to help them overcome their families’ fruit and veggie eating challenges. Feel free to post your own ideas in this area too! Tap into this great consumer resource by adding a link from your own website to fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org today! For more information, contact PBH Database Associate Allison Kissel.

Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Is Now a Registered Trademark

Fruits & Veggies—More Matters is now a registered trademark and, as such, should be followed by the ® instead of the trademark symbol ™ which we used previously.  The ™ symbol is used to identify the marks, like names, slogans or logos, that a party claims legal rights to, while the federal registration symbol, ®, may only be used once the mark is actually registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. For more information about how to use the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters brand and logo, see the Brand Usage Guidelines, or contact PBH Licensing & Partnership Manager Kathleen Ruf.

Research: Fruit & Veggie Consumption Linked to Childrens’ Academic Performance

A new study has linked fruit and vegetable consumption to children’s academic performance, further highlighting the importance of balanced diets at an early age.  Reported in the April issue of the Journal of School Health, the study examined the relationship between diet quality and academic performance in over 5,000 fifth-grade students in Nova Scotia.   A diet quality index was calculated for each student based on their intake of recommended food groups, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as energy and nutrient intakes, as reported on a food frequency questionnaire. Academic performance was assessed using a standardized literacy test.  Using several indicators, researchers discovered a
positive correlation between diet and academic performance, even after consideration of other factors including gender, socioeconomic status, and residential neighborhood.  Students in the highest category of nutrient intake were 41 percent less likely to fail the assessment compared to those in the lowest category. Those in the middle category were 26 percent less likely to fail than those in the lowest category.  Further analysis showed that students with an increased fruit and vegetable intake, as well as lower fat intake, were also less likely to fail the assessment. For more information, contact PBH Nutrition Research Manager Kathy Hoy, Ed.D., R.D.

IFAVA Newsletter Looks at Promoting Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Schools

This month’s International Fruit and Vegetable Alliance’s (IFAVA) latest scientific newsletter is focused on children’s health. The topics in this edition concentrate on digestive health and obesity and suggest that increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables in children’s diets can prevent and help treat these problems. For more information, visit IFAVA or contact PBH’s Communications Specialist Jill LeBrasseur. 

IFAVA International Fruit and Vegetable Summit in Paris

The International Fruit and Vegetable Alliance’s (IFAVA) International Fruit and Vegetable Summit will be held in Paris, France from May 27-30, 2008. The summit aims to increase fruit and vegetable consumption worldwide through national and regional delivery. An exciting program has been developed by a committee of leading experts and will cover: Science, Social Marketing, Environmental Changes, Economics, Sociology and Policy. For more information, visit the official summit site or contact PBH’s Communications Specialist Jill LeBrasseur. 

On the Road Again

PBH President and CEO Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., took the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters message to Indianapolis Fruit’s Winning at Retail III: Customer Service I.D.E.A.S. for Better Sales and Profit Conference on February 26. In her address, she spoke about the development of Fruits & Veggies—More Matters and how retailers can help in our collective effort to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

Pivonka will speak at the Donaghue Foundation’s annual conference in Hartford, Conn. April 23.  The Conference, Beyond Eureka, Turning What we Know into What We Do will be an opportunity to compare efforts to move scientific evidence into practice with other public health initiatives.  For more information about the conference, view its website.

PBH Reaching Educators through 2008 Trade Shows

PBH’s marketing team will attend four regional trade shows throughout 2008. These events include the National Parent Teachers Association, June 21 – 23; the School Nutrition Association’s Conference, July 20-23; American Dietetic Association Meeting, October 26-28; and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Nov. 5–8.

These events give PBH the opportunity to strengthen and develop new relationships with various audiences for Fruits & Veggies—More Matters messages. At each of these regional trade shows, PBH will have a booth with Fruits & Veggies—More Matters educational materials from our catalog on display. Staff members will also be on hand to talk with attendees about Fruits & Veggies—More Matters. For more information on these meetings and events, contact PBH Manager of Development Theresa Kaufmann.

Donor Recognition: Your Support Matters!

PBH is pleased to recognize the following companies who have contributed to the foundation from Feb. 22, 2008 through Mar. 28, 2008. 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 Manager of Development Theresa Kaufmann.

A few PBH Direct sponsorship opportunities remain for 2008! Don’t miss this chance to show your support of PBH and gain exposure for your company and products within the industry. For more information on this and other sponsorship opportunities, contact PBH Manager of Development Theresa Kaufmann.