Communication challenge of the day: Convince elderly they're old
Amidst heat wave after heat wave across the country this year, MSNBC reports:
...warnings have gone out to the elderly to try to stay cool. The problem is, many seniors hear the message but don’t think it applies to them — because they don’t see themselves as old.
That point was underscored in summers past by a Kent State University study of the over-65 crowd in four North American cities. It found that 90 percent of those polled knew about heat warnings for the elderly, but only 15 percent took them personally.
Much of the issue seems to stem from baby boomers not realizing how their bodies change over time, and because of the redefining of ageing:
Older people may not even realize that they need more water because the sense of thirst diminishes with age so people don’t always know they're dehydrating. Making matters worse, older kidneys aren’t as good at keeping fluids in the system.
Add to that the host of medications taken by seniors — some of which can impair sweating and the heart’s ability to pump harder in response to these heat-related demands — and it's a recipe for disaster on days when the mercury skyrockets.
So here's the challenge - How do you convince older people, who may be perfeclty healthy otherwise, to pay more attention during heat advisories?
As shutdown looms, food safety agencies ready plans
With a government shutdown becoming more likely by the hour, Helena Bottemiller writes of USDA's plans to keep inspectors at work:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which maintains a constant presence in meat and poultry plants across the country, will continue inspections in a shutdown scenario. The plan to classify FSIS inspectors as "essential personnel" would keep approximately 8,000 inspectors in 6,200 processing facilities. Management and non-inspection personnel would likely be furloughed, along with much of the rest of USDA.
USDA: Popular cuts of meat & poultry to show Nutrition Facts Panel
Want to know how many calories or how much fat is in that ground beef or chicken breast in the meat case? Now you'll be able to find out. USDA announced today that the Nutrition Facts Panel will appear on 40 of the most popular cuts of meat and poultry:
The nutrition facts panels will include the number of calories and the grams of total fat and saturated fat a product contains. Additionally, any product that lists a lean percentage statement, such as '76% lean,' on its label also will list its fat percentage, making it easier for consumers to understand the amounts of lean protein and fat in their purchase.
This means the same label you check out on the side of a cereal box will now be on your package of steak. The label will appear on packages of products such as tenderloin, brisket, chicken breasts and ground turkey, both pre-packaged and at the point of purchase. Expect to see it sooner, but the rule goes into effect Jan 1, 2012.
Update on Food Safety Bill: Not until after Turkey Day
If you didn't have a chance to watch C-SPAN 2 yesterday, Helena Bottemiller (of Food Safety News) endured the countless quorum calls, classical music interludes and hard-fought negotiating -- and recaps quite an emotional day of Senate debate on S510, the Food Safety Bill on the Obamafoodorama blog:
After a long day of dramatic debating--and waiting--on Thursday, the Senate came to an impasse over the details and politics surrounding S510, the FDA Food Safety and Modernization Act. The Senate will not resume debate on the legislation until 6:30 p.m. EST November 29, following the Thanksgiving recess, even though Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said earlier this week that he would, if necessary, keep the Senate in town over the weekend to finish the bill.
At the heart of the gridlock is debate over an amendment from Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), fiercely advocated for by local food groups. There seemed to be a compromise reached Wednesday night that got into the bill being considered. A story about the compromise from one side -- and a video of Sen. Tester's speech on the Senate floor -- can be found here.
In other ag news, a major announcement today impacting the upcoming Farm Bill -- Politico reports Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) will be the new chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee:
Holy legislative possibilities, Batman! Food Safety and Child Nutrition in the lame duck Congress
The Food Safety Bill and Child Nutrition Reauthorization are two different pieces of legislation, yet they both have seemed destined to similar fates this year. After passing unanimously out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee a year ago this week (and after passing the House the July before that), the Food Safety Bill was pushed to the back of the line while Congress debated healthcare reform. Now, J. Taylor Rushing of The Hill reports:
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to bring [the bill] forward for a procedural vote on Wednesday that leaders expect will pass.
The bill would give government agencies greater authority to order recalls of problematic products, improve inspections of imported goods and allow USDA and HHS to develop a national food safety plan, among other things.
At the same time, Child Nutrition Reauthorization has followed a similar, albeit more windy path.
Blogwell: Lessons in social media in a regulated environment
The Social Media Business Council is nice enough to share notes from its Blogwell series, where it always features interesting and engaging speakers. Here, Michael Brenner outlines key points from a recent presentation given by J&J's Marc Monseau about social media engagement within a highly-regulated industry. One of the keys to moving forward strategically in this type of environment which has helped J&J is to start slow and focused:
We started small and simple to prove the concept. We started with a corporate blog talking about the 120-year history of the company. This was viewed as non-controversial topics to help gain the confidence of legal and compliance areas...Then we moved into a more formal corporate blog to discuss current topics, and then finally moved into more complex channels such as YouTube where we could support our operating units.
More tips and an interesting Q&A from the discussion can be found here.
Expressing caution about industry's front-of-pack nutrition labeling
FoodNavigator's Caroline Scott-Thomas says GMA and FMI may be jumping the gun a bit in their plans to release a new front-of-pack nutrition labeling system early next year and recommends letting the Institute of Medicine finish phase two of its work before the industry moves forward:
As the United States battles with a multitude of diet-induced health problems, industry and consumers alike need thorough, completed research into what makes for effective nutrition labeling. That is the IOM’s aim. The food industry should not rush its conclusions.
I noted in my previous post that the release of the GMA/FMI system could be a two-way street for the industry. In the end, one of the keys to determining if the system will be deemed a success will be whether it is perceived as selling product (a la Smart Choices) versus informing consumers.
