Table 2 Mechanisms and arguments used by the sample of food industry actors to frame the debate on diet- and public health-related issues in Australia
Australian Food and Grocery Council | Coca Cola | McDonald’s | Nestle | Woolworths | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mechanisms | Arguments | Example of arguments identified during data collection | ||||
Shift the blame away from the food industry | Personal responsibility – people need to have a balanced diet and there are no bad food products, only bad diets | “[There is a] well established paradigm that an individual’s good health is dependent upon a balanced diet” (A26) | “Coke can be consumed as part of a sensible, balanced diet” (A113) | “[When kids eat a] mix of foods – (…) does it balance out with (…) energy requirements?” (A175) | “The basic principle in nutrition [is] that there are no ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods but rather ‘good’ and ‘bad’ diets” (A203) | “The importance of a balanced diet” (A304) |
Personal responsibility – people need to be more active and balance kilojoules in and out (focus on obesity rather than NCDs) | “The health risks associated with obesity are largely controlled if a person is physically active and physically fit” (A29) | “We know that you’ve got to balance kilojoules in with kilojoules out” (A111) | “If your school or club (…) requires equipment, uniforms or something else that encourages participation in sport, we are happy to help” (A171) | The Nestle Healthy Kids Program contains a lot of information on physical activity (A205) | Not identified | |
Promote the good intentions and stress the good traits of the food industry | Industry provides safe products | “AFGC advocates a positive role for the food, beverage and grocery industry in providing safe products to consumers” (A32) | Not identified | “Providing customers with safe food is our first priority and our most critical responsibility” (A172) | “As an industry, we’re showing we’re credible partners, going beyond using our scientific knowhow to put micronutrients safely in a product and ensure they’re preserved until the end of its shelf life” (A194) | Not identified |
Emphasise the food industry’s actions to address public health-related issues | Industry promotes healthy lifestyles | “The food industry [is] already actioning plan to (…) encourage healthy lifestyle choices” (A35) | Not identified | “Mac Pack: a sporting movement for kids promoting healthy living through fun and play” (A169) | “The Nestle Good Life Program is a group of community initiatives (…) promoting active lifestyles” (A206) | Not identified |
Industry is part of the solution | “Obesity and overweight is a major issue globally. (…) AFGC and the entire food and grocery manufacturing industry are committed to being part of the solution to this critical issue” (A 32) | “We just want to be part of the solution” (A111) | Not identified | “We believe that we have a shared responsibility” (A207) | “We have an important role to play in promoting balanced and healthy eating habits that support a healthy lifestyle” (A304) | |
Industry is an expert in diet- and public health-related issues | Not identified | Not identified | Not identified | “To have the greatest possible impact [with our Nestle Good Life Program], we focus on areas where we believe we can add the most value: food, nutrition, and health and wellness. These are areas where we can best contribute our expertise, scientific insight and decades of experience” (A206) | Not identified | |
Industry provides healthy/healthier versions of its products | “To help people achieve this balance, industry provides a range of nutritious products, in a variety of portion sizes with low-joule, low-fat, low-sugar and low-salt foods available” (A32) | “We continue to make positive changes. Here’s just a taste of what we’ve achieved. 1. Increasing the availability of our smaller portion sizes. 2. Offering more low kilojoule options” (A115) | Not identified | Not identified | “We have already made significant steps to promote healthy diets to Australian shoppers” (A304) | |
Personal responsibility – Industry provides information | “We aim to empower people and communities to make informed choices to improve the health of their families” (A31) | “More information equals more informed consumers, and we believe informed consumers are the ones that make the best decisions for themselves and their families” (A121) | “Happy Meal Choices menu (…) enables parents and children to select meal components to suit individual tastes and dietary requirements” (A170, A178) | “Nestle aims to help parents and children make healthier choices, running cookery schools and educational programmes around the world” (A213) | “We strongly believe our customers should have access to a full suite of nutritional information to enable them to make informed decisions when selecting groceries” (A306) | |