OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CA - The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) joined together with the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) this week to welcome changes made to Health Canada’s Canada Food Guide. The updated guide aims to redress a lack of fruits and vegetables in Canadian diets—and recommends that half your plate should be filled with fresh fruits and veggies.

“Today’s announcement of the new Food Guide recognizes that fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet,” said CPMA President Ron Lemaire, in a press release. “CPMA has long been advocating for increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by Canadians and our Half Your Plate campaign has been resonating with consumers from coast to coast to coast. We would like to thank Minister Petitpas Taylor and the Government for their hard work on this important file and in ensuring that the new Food Guide is grounded in sound science. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with Minister Petitpas Taylor and Health Canada to improve the health of Canadians.”

According to a 2016 Kruger Report cited by the CPMA, 80 percent of Canadians do not consume enough fruits and vegetables as recommended by Canada’s Food Guide, and this results in an economic burden calculated at $4.4 billion.

“The Canadian Public Health Association supports the new national dietary guidelines that emphasize plant-based sources of protein, which was a recommendation from the 2017 Canada-specific Lancet Countdown Report. Increased consumption of plant-based protein sources will not only improve human health, but will also benefit planetary health,” said Ian Culbert, CPHA’s Executive Director. “Considerable evidence demonstrates that diets rich in plant-based proteins reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity as well as breast, colon and prostate cancer. The benefits of these diets extend to our natural environment by reducing the carbon footprint, water consumption and pollution, and greenhouse gas production associated with animal agriculture.”

According to the CPMA’s press release, Canada is currently the only G7 country without a national fruit and vegetable health/nutrition policy, and both CPMA and CPHA strongly support the development of the new Food Policy for Canada. Both associations believe that a whole-of-government approach, including a multi-stakeholder governance model with membership across the food system, will result in a successful and sustainable structure, and both organizations encourage the Government to ensure alignment between the new Food Guide and the Food Policy for Canada.

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