When it comes to food on the Irish table, a multiplicity of concerns confronts consumers. Likewise, producers and food companies are faced with a different set of ever-changing and demanding issues. The need for nutritional value, safety, traceability and quality, however, arises from both perspectives. The "What We Eat" series in this newspaper over the past week served as a valuable audit of consumer eating trends and food production in 2006.
Above all, it signalled how obesity is the most complex issue of all. It is set to take a terrible toll on future generations if a co-ordinated and sustained response is not pursued by governments, health authorities, those in the food chain - from farm to table - and individual consumers. The new super-sized Irish generation is all too evident. But where does responsibility lie for this disturbing picture of public health?
Prof Michael Gibney of UCD has shifted the focus on to the individual and away from the popular target of blame - the corporate food industry. Some 94 per cent of calories consumed are "home-based". So the problem is largely in our kitchens and is linked to a rushed lifestyle where convenience and indulgence seem to have the upper hand. A majority of people are overeating.
Given the scale of the problem, it is not sustainable for food companies to cling to their view of choice and free trade. Insisting that consumers are demanding lower-fat foods but that their purchasing and eating practices are far different is a cop-out which ultimately restricts genuine choice. Not all companies are guilty on this front. Many, including some multinationals, sense what's coming down the line. Their preferred aim is to generate a product that is healthy, convenient and indulgent. Among others, there are too many instances of shameless pushing of an indulgent and/or a larger portion strategy. Products highlight a benefit such as low fat content that, in effect, conceals high salt or sugar content.
Co-operation with health agencies is possible, as shown by work with the processed food sector in reducing salt levels in Irish foods. An unprecedented preventative health crusade is equally vital. The cost of major health promotion programmes should be tied into social partnership agreements and placed against the savings made in reducing risk factors for chronic disease.
What we eat, however, should not be dominated by negativity. The range and quality of foods has never been better. Food continues to be central to great social gatherings. What's more, in the new Europe the days of blind over-production in agriculture are ending and the food consumer is becoming king.