Bumble Bee Foods Joins Industry and NGOs in Launch of Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation
October 5, 2009
Leading Household Brand Dedicated to Consumer Health and Wellness Partners on Initiative to Reduce Obesity in America
SAN DIEGO (October 5, 2009) -Bumble Bee Foods, America’s leading premium tuna brand and the producer and marketer of a full line of canned and pouched seafood products, extends its commitment to health and wellness today in joining the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation.
The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation is a first-of-kind national initiative formed to help reduce obesity, particularly childhood obesity, by 2015. As a founding member, Bumble Bee teams with a coalition of more than 40 retailers, non-governmental organizations and food and beverage manufacturers in a multi-year effort to encourage behavior change and provide consumers with the tools to achieve a healthy weight through energy balance.
The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation efforts will include:
Connecting with Consumers in the Marketplace: Participating companies will make products, packaging and labeling easier for consumers to manage their calorie intake while preserving or enhancing overall nutrition quality. Consumer education is also part of this effort. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) will support an independent, objective evaluation of the marketplace initiative.
Empowering Employees in the Workplace: Participating companies will undertake new or enhance existing programs to help employees achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The National Business Group on Health will evaluate the impact of the workplace efforts.
Creating Healthy Habits in Schools: This will expand on the successful Healthy Schools Partnership program that integrates nutrition education and physical education through a school-based curriculum to help children develop life-long positive healthy habits. The Healthy Schools Partnership was developed by the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition Foundation, PE4life and the American Dietetic Association Foundation. The University of California at Berkeley Center for Weight and Health will evaluate the Healthy School Partnership.
“The focus of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation aligns very well with our mission to provide products that meet consumer demand for healthy, nutritious, affordable and convenient foods harvested in a sustainable manner,” said Chris Lischewski, Bumble Bee’s president and CEO. “Given the high nutritional value of our product portfolio and the types of retail and consumer programs we traditionally commit to, it’s very natural that we would support an initiative to educate consumers about maintaining a healthier lifestyle – one that includes informing of the importance of reducing calories and increasing physical exercise.
“Bumble Bee is proud to be a founding member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation. Through more robust efforts that this platform will introduce in the marketplace, in the workplace and in schools, together we can affect meaningful change,” Lischewski said.
As the largest producer and marketer of shelf-stable seafood throughout North America, Bumble Bee products are designed to meet consumer need for high-quality, nutritious products that are also affordable. Seafood products by the 100-year-old brand are rich in protein, nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids and help to address growing concerns among Americans of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. Working closely with its retail partners and through consumer programs, the company is focused on reinforcing messages of health and wellness and empowering consumers with programs and tools to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
Among Bumble Bee’s signature consumer programs to promote a healthy lifestyle is BeeWell Miles, now in its second year. The interactive health and wellness program encourages consumers to make healthier food choices and incorporate exercise as part of their daily routine. Between April and October each year, BeeWell Miles inspires consumers with the support of www.BeeWellMiles.com, an interactive Web site and consumer resource dedicated to creating a healthy and active lifestyle. The program benefits the Breast Cancer Network of Strength®.
About Bumble Bee Foods
Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, headquartered in San Diego, is North America’s largest branded shelf-stable seafood company, offering a full line of canned and pouched tuna, salmon, sardine, and specialty seafood products marketed in the U.S. under leading brands including Bumble Bee®, Brunswick®, Snow’s® and Beach Cliff®, and in Canada under the Clover Leaf® brand. The Bumble Bee brand has established significant consumer awareness and loyalty based on the superior quality and affordability of its protein-rich products.
Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, headquartered in San Diego, is North America’s largest branded shelf-stable seafood company, offering a full line of canned and pouched tuna, salmon, sardine, and specialty seafood products marketed in the U.S. under leading brands including Bumble Bee®, Brunswick®, Snow’s® and Beach Cliff®, and in Canada under the Clover Leaf® brand. The Bumble Bee brand has established significant consumer awareness and loyalty based on the superior quality and affordability of its protein-rich products.
For more information on Bumble Bee, visit www.bumblebee.com. Join fans of Bumble Bee and healthy living at www.facebook.com/BumbleBeeFoods and www.facebook.com/BeeWellMiles.
About the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation
The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation is a unique partnership between retailers, non-profit organizations, food and beverage manufacturers and trade associations aimed at helping to reduce obesity. For more information, go to www.healthyweightcommit.org.
The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation is a unique partnership between retailers, non-profit organizations, food and beverage manufacturers and trade associations aimed at helping to reduce obesity. For more information, go to www.healthyweightcommit.org.