Agenda

Morning

08:30 – 09:00

Welcome Coffee and Registration

09:00 – 09:20

Opening Keynote Presentation

Morning Moderator:

Kate Trollope, Editor, EU Food Policy

09:00 – 09:20

The view from the European Commission

Paola Testori Coggi, Director General, Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection, European Commission

09:20 – 10:40

Session 1 – Evaluating Europe’s success in the promotion of healthier diets and lifestyles

Unhealthy diets and a lack of physical exercise are the leading cause of avoidable illness in the EU, and the rising prevalence of obesity across Europe represents a major public health concern. With the European Commission’s ‘Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related health issues’ set to end in 2013, it is necessary to evaluate whether the current EU approach to promoting healthy diets and lifestyles has been successful. How are the EU institutions and Members States measuring success in combating obesity levels, and what is the outlook for future measures? What have been the main results of industry’s commitments to the Platform on nutrition and physical activity for Europe’s consumers? Has self-regulation delivered in terms of providing sufficient information to consumers, reformulating and fortifying food products and encouraging healthy choices, and what role is there for industry-led initiatives to promote physical activity? Going forward, what overall measures are required to tackle obesity in the EU?


Despina Spanou, Principal Advisor, DG SANCO; and Chair, EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and the High Level Group on Nutrition and Physical Activity
Herman Rutgers, Executive Director, European Health and Fitness Association
Rodrigo Gouveia, Secrerary General, Euro-Coop
Salvatore Gabola, Public Affairs Director, Coca-Cola Europe
Sue Davies, Chief Policy Officer, Which?

10:40 – 11:00

Morning Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:30

Session 2 – The Challenges in implementing the food labelling regulation

With the revised Food Information to Consumers Regulation formally adopted and in force, what further hurdles can industry expect? The Commission has a great deal of work cut out for itself in the form of delegated and implementing acts which will be addressed individually over the next several years. Will the review of rules related to trans-fat and alcohol labelling be satisfactory? What will be the impact of new provisions related to additional forms of expression, legibility and portion sizes? What are the potential risks and opportunities for the food industry in relation to these provisions? How can the food industry actively contribute to the debate?


Josephine Wills, Director-General, European Food Information Council (EUFIC)
Ruth Veale, Head of the Food, Health, Environment and Safety Department, BEUC
Barbara Gallani, Director of Food Safety & Science, Food and Drink Federation
Helen Lee, Nutrition and nutrition labelling, European Commission

Afternoon

12:30 – 13:30

Lunch Break

Moderator:
Victoria Breck, Account Manager, Grayling

13:30 – 15:00

Session 3 – Implementing Health Claims: Successes and Challenges

To what extent are manufacturers adapting the wording of approved health claims, and are disparities in the marketing of claims to consumers expected to increase between member states? What are the next steps for the 80% of disallowed claims? What further guidance can EFSA provide to manufacturers willing to resubmit claims? Do the potential benefits of a successful claim under article13.5 outweigh the high outlay costs to resubmit, and is this prohibitive to SMEs?

13:30 – 13:50

Presentation

Juliane Kleiner, Head of Unit for NDA Panel, EFSA

13:50 – 15:10

Panel Discussion

Basil Mathioudakis, Head of Unit, Nutrition, food composition and information, European Commission
Julie Girling MEP, Member, ENVI Committee
Robert Verkerk, Executive and Scientific Director, Alliance for Natural Health
Udo Herz, Director, Research and Development, Europe, Mead Johnson Nutrition

15:10 – 15:30

Afternoon Coffee Break

Moderator:


Fanny van der Loo, Account Manager, Grayling

15:30 – 17:00

Session 4 –The future of specialised nutrition in Europe

The Commission’s proposed revision of the former Framework Directive on foods for particular nutritional uses (the so-called PARNUTS) Directive, attempted to simplify the existing framework for dietetic foods by abolishing the concept of ‘dietetic’ and retaining only three categories of foods for specialised nutrition. What will be the impact of this proposal on the food categories which are now set to fall under general food law, including sports foods, gluten free foods, and slimming foods? What will be the impact on the vulnerable consumers who require products which are specifically formulated for their particular nutritional needs? Will coeliac patients be able to enjoy a nutritious and varied diet, will athletes have access to products designed for intense energy expenditure, and will Europe’s overweight population have access to products which can help them to change their diet and lose weight?

Panel Discussion:

Amire Mahmood, Legal Expert, Federal Ministry of Health in Austria
Sarah Sleet, Board Director, AOECS, and Chief Executive of Coeliac UK
Roger Clarke, Operational Board Member, IDACE and Director General, British Specialist Nutrition Association Ltd
Fionna Page, Dietician, European Fereration of Associations of Dieticians
Esther de Lange MEP, Shadow Rapporteur, PARNUTS Directive
Basil Mathioudakis, Head of Unit, Nutrition, food composition and information, European Commission

Morning

08:30 – 08:55

Welcome Coffee and Registration

08:55 – 10:00

Session 5 - Policymakers working together for the promotion of healthier diets and lifestyles in Europe.

Morning Moderator:

Elke Anklam, Director, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, Joint Research Centre

08:55 – 09:10

The collaboration of the European Commission with the WHO

Philippe Roux, Deputy Head of Unit, Health Determinants, DG SANCO, European Commission

09:10 – 09:25

The collaboration of the European Commission with the WHO

João Breda, Programme Manager, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Programme, WHO regional office for Europe

09:25 – 09:45

The view from the Danish presidency

Mette Gjerkskov, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Denmark

09:45 – 10:00

Discussion

10:00 – 11:25

Session 6 - Nutrient profiling – Does one size fit all?

Given the current global discussion on profiles and developments in the US and at international level with the World Health Organization, how does the EU intend to set up a nutrient profile which works alongside these models? What impact will a European nutrient profile have beyond the health and nutrition claims, for example on advertising and marketing or criteria for taxation? How is the European Commission working to set a non-discriminatory model which reflects cultural dietary patterns? How can nutrient profiles stimulate innovation and reformulation of foods?

Panel Discussion:

Mike Rayner, Director, British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research
Ane Hagtvedt, Researcher, University of Oslo
João Breda, Programme Manager, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Programme, WHO regional office for Europe
Natalia Douek, Regulatroy Affairs Director, PepsiCo Europe

11:25 – 11:45

Morning Coffee Break

11:45 – 13:10

Session 7 – Reformulation and Innovation– where next?

Following its activities on salt reformulation, what are the plans for the High Level Group on Nutrition and Physical Activity? Which nutrients should be prioritised next, and what is the role of innovative technologies in product reformulation? To what extent should the varied traditional diets of member states be taken into account when selecting target nutrients, and in the context of reformulation efforts?

Panel Discussion:

Pavel Telička, Chairman, Choices Programme
Susanne Logstrup, Director, European Heart Network
Stephanie Bodenbach, Policy Officer, nutrition and nutrition related aspects of labelling, European Commission
Kristen Anderson, Director of Nutrition, Barilla

Afternoon

13:10 – 14:15

Lunch Break

14:15 – 15:45

Session 9 – “Fat taxes” one year on: A useful measure in the fight against obesity?

With member states scrambling for revenues and international pressure to tackle obesity, discriminatory taxes have been gaining momentum across Europe over the past year. Although there is no room for such a tax at EU level, initiatives are continuing to sprout up at national level to tax levels of salt, saturated fat, sugar, and even caffeine. What criteria are used to determine which products should be taxed, and at what rates? Could nutrient profiles be used as common criteria for such initiatives? Do these national taxes create an uneven playing field and put some companies at a competitive disadvantage? Do companies pass the costs of taxation on to the consumers, and if so have they had any measurable impact on consumer behaviour or on obesity rates?

Panel Discussion:

Rolf Diemer, Head of Unit, Environment and other indirect taxes, European Commission
Monika Kosinska, Secretary General, EPHA
Thorbjørn Christensen, Senior advisor to the minister, Danish Ministry of Taxation
Daniele Rossi, , Food Drink Europe