10:15 am - 2:30 pm • Yuma 25
Joint Food and Nutrition Issues Subcommittee
Michael Cline, Chair; Sharon Fox, Vice Chair

The Joint Food and Nutrition Issues Subcommittee of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) met Friday, Jan. 30, to conduct its business and discuss food issues and policy developments. The group met at the Phoenix Civic Plaza during the 2004 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Phoenix, Ariz.

After approving minutes from the previous meeting, subcommittee members discussed updated dietary guidelines, reviewed proposed national food and nutrition policies, and discussed the effect of nutrition policy changes on NCBA policies and programs and implications for beef producers.

Policies discussed included daily portion and serving size of protein and red meat and an update of the food guide pyramid.

The subcommittee monitors legislative and regulatory activities to ensure key nutrition policies are consistent with interests of the beef industry.

Leah Wilkinson, director of food policy in NCBA’s Washington, D.C., office, said NCBA is working with other producers — including other animal-producer and fruit-and-vegetable-producer organizations — to promote fresh food as naturally nutrient rich. “People are consuming most of their calories from the top of the pyramid — the fats and oils,”she said. “The question becomes, ‘How can we convince consumers to choose more foods from the other portions of the guide?’”

She said the key is to get people to enjoy beef, not just to consume more beef. It’s important that they enjoy beef and realize its health benefits, she added.

Subcommittee members also discussed how to include more beef in the Child Nutrition Act, which has been extended until March to await further review from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) plan to report transfatty acid portions on nutrition labels and the mandatory nutrition labeling on meat were also issues for the group.

Wilkinson said nutrition labeling won’t become mandatory until 2006. The USDA is expected to publish the final rule by summer 2004. However, Wilikinson said it is unclear whether the U.S. case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) will cause any delays.

— by Crystal Albers