Research by the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance, the Department of Health Healthy Ireland Surveys in 2015 and 2016, and the Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children project confirm that excess consumption of saturated fats, trans fats, sugars and salt (especially from foods and drinks on the top shelf of the food pyramid) and low consumption of fruit and vegetables are major problems in the Irish diet. Alarmingly, in 2016, the Healthy Ireland Survey found that 42% of the population were eating six or more portions of ‘top shelf foods’ on a daily basis. 

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Development of new food pyramid

In 2016, the Irish Obesity Policy and Action Plan – A Healthy Weight for Ireland (2016–2025) called for the development of a suite of healthy eating guidelines for the general population. The new healthy eating guidelines and food pyramid resources are an early action under the plan (Action 5.3).

National and international reviews¹ of the current scientific evidence identify that a healthy dietary pattern is higher in vegetables, fruits, whole grains; moderate in low fat milk, cheese and yogurt, fish, peas, beans and lentils; lower in processed meats; contains very small amounts of unsaturated reduced fat spreads and oils and as low as possible in sugar-sweetened and foods with added sugars (not every day). 

Informing the consumer

The purpose of national healthy eating guidelines is to help a population maintain good health through optimal nutrition – by both preventing deficiencies and excesses of nutrients. 

Consumers are confused about nutrition and this is hardly surprising, given the near daily myriad nutrition messages delivered via traditional marketing media, social media and food packaging. We have thousands of foods to choose from and hundreds of willing experts to tell us what we need to consume. It’s important therefore, that national nutrition guidelines represent a consensus of all major stakeholders, so that health professionals and the general public hear clear, consistent messages. 

To address this, the Department of Health established a broad stakeholder working group to develop these new guidelines, chaired by the Department and including representation from the Health Promotion Unit, Healthy Ireland and the HSE, together with safefood, the FSAI, the INDI and the Health Research Board. 

The European Food Safety Authority recommends that national food guidelines should be “appropriate for the region or country, culturally acceptable and practical to implement. They should be consistent, easily understood and easily memorable”. 

Use of the food pyramid

At the very start of the process of reviewing the guidelines, the use of the pyramid was examined. Conscious that other countries had moved away from this tool, the Department of Health commissioned the Health Research Board to carry out a review of international healthy eating guidelines and visual aids to implement them. It found that Irish nutrition recommendations are very similar to those of other countries (Australia, Canada and the US), which have populations with similar characteristics.

IPSOS MRBI, a market researcher company, was also commissioned to look at the general public and health professional’s views on the use of a pyramid to translate our dietary messages into an easily understood graphical tool. The conclusion from this work was that the pyramid was popular and user friendly in the Irish context. 

Other countries use other tools, like rainbows or plates but essentially all these countries are giving broadly the same nutritional advice, and are just using different tools to communicate it.  

Throughout the process of developing the guidelines, focus groups were held with consumers, teachers and healthcare professionals to ensure that the messages are clear and delivered in a way that is accessible to all users. 

It is a real challenge to meet the EFSA recommendation of food guidelines that are ‘easily understood and memorable’ given the complexity of the information- saturated environment we live in. There is no perfect tool or visual aid to translate the full range of complex nutrition guidelines into easily understood messages for the consumer. 

Indeed, there is no typical consumer – the Irish population is hugely diverse, made up of people with different nutritional needs, backgrounds and knowledge. This new suite of resources provides dietitians and others educators with an excellent broad base, from which more tailored educational tools and campaign can be delivered. 

Key consumer messages

• Limit high-fat, sugar, salt foods and drinks from the top shelf of the food pyramid

• Eat more vegetables, salad and fruit – up to seven servings a day

• Size matters – use the food pyramid as a guide for serving sizes.

Reference

1. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Public Health England, World Health Organisation European Region, US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee