Our story
In 1980, a group of visionary business and medical professionals recognised the need for an organisation to educate New Zealanders on nutrition. At the time, nutrition did not have a high public profile, but there was an increasing need to combat numerous misleading food and nutrition messages. The group included Sir John Scott (professor of medicine at the University of Auckland), Professor Cliff Tasman Jones (eminent gastroenterologist and nutritionist), Dick Jamieson (businessman), Sir Dove-Meyer Robinson (Auckland mayor), Wendy Brown (Weight Watchers) and two lawyers. Dr John Birkbeck was the first medical director. Thus, the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation was established as a charitable not-for-profit trust.
Independent and credible
One of the strengths of the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation is its independence. Many people voluntarily contribute their time, experience and expertise to the activities of the Foundation. The Foundation enjoys a solid and credible reputation with a variety of audiences including the general public, food writers, health professionals, groups specialising in care of the elderly, the food industry and medical practitioners.
Innovative nutrition education
The Foundation has a strong track record in innovative nutrition education and health promotion programmes, and the wide range of food and nutrition services offered. The Foundation was one of the early providers of long-distance nutrition courses (papers via correspondence), developed by Dr John Birkbeck. These were designed for key professional groups, including pharmacists, nurses, sports professionals and teachers. As these courses grew they were sold to Massey University.
High-profile nutrition campaigns
For consumers, the Foundation has run a number of high-profile nutrition campaigns. Allyson Gofton, the first CEO, introduced one of the most popular in 1991, Food Glorious Food. This was followed by Snack Wise (1992), Break into Breakfast (1993) and the very popular Breakfast Club (1994). To celebrate the International Year of the Family, the Building Healthy Families campaign also ran in 1994. Techno Food, a food and nutrition resource for intermediate and secondary schools, was launched in 1997, under the direction of Robyn Cameron, CEO from 1994 to 1998. Other highly successful campaigns followed, including Lunch for Life. A change in CEO in 1998 saw the appointment of Bronwen Anderson and the launch of Get going with breakfast, which introduced linkages with supermarkets, food companies, schools, and the media to promote the breakfast health message. This campaign ran for over five years.
More recent initiatives include the formation of the Older People’s Working Group in 2003 (recently renamed the Committee for Healthy Ageing). This group has become highly respected, providing education seminars involving a range of organisations, from the Government to public health and special interest groups.
Working closely with the food industry
In today’s environment, accurate food and nutrition information is more important than ever before. The New Zealand Nutrition Foundation seeks to grow its role as a qualified, professional voice, enhancing the life of New Zealanders by encouraging informed, healthy and enjoyable food choices as part of an active lifestyle.
The Foundation believes it is vital to work closely with the food industry to enhance the production, processing and marketing of healthy food choices to promote the health of all New Zealanders. In early 2009, the Foundation launched the eMark website, promoting a world-first energy balance system to assist consumers in food selection and serving sizes. Developed in partnership with Plant and Food Research, the Foundation is confident this system will be embraced by industry and the public alike as a vital adjunct to current food labelling.
The New Zealand Nutrition Foundation is a member of the International Food Information Organisation (FIO) network, and hosted a global conference and Summit Meeting in Queenstown in 2005. This meeting was supported and attended by the then Minister of Health, the Hon Annette King. The Foundation also continues to bring internationally-recognised experts on nutrition to New Zealand, with the support of the food industry and many individual members.