Newswise — "Can a Healthy Food Industry Coexist with a Healthy America?" On Thursday, March 8, senior food industry leaders will convene at Saint Joseph's University for a one-day Food Industry Summit focused on finding the right balance between the pursuit of healthy eating and the business of food marketing.
Sponsored by the Food Marketing department at Saint Joseph's, a nationally and internationally recognized center for food marketing education and industry thought leadership, the Food Industry Summit, "Doing the Right Things RIGHT for Both Shareholders and Society," will be held in the Wolfington Teletorium, Mandeville Hall, at City Avenue and 54th Street, 8:45 a.m.-5 p.m.
"The obesity crisis in the United States has put the food industry under the microscope: what is the industry doing to market more responsibly to help address this national problem?" observed John Lord., Ph.D., professor and chair of food marketing at Saint Joseph's Erivan K. Haub School of Business (HSB).
"The Food Industry Summit will bring together leading manufacturers, retailers, researchers and industry analysts to address what's been successful, and what could and should be done at all levels of the food supply chain to make it easier for consumers to opt for healthier eating choices and lifestyles."
In the morning session, which begins at 9 a.m., keynote speakers presenting the food processors' perspective include Doug Conant, CEO, Campbell Soup Company; Chris Furman, president and CEO, PepsiCo Foodservice; and Mitchell Pinheiro, food industry analyst, Janney Montgomery Scott, followed by a Q & A session with Professor Lord moderating.
Following a networking luncheon, the afternoon session gets under way at 1:30 p.m., with a panel of keynote speakers presenting the food retailers' approach. Speakers include Rick Anicetti, president and CEO, Food Lion; Tony Schiano, president and CEO, Giant Foods, and Dan O'Connor, president, RetailNet Group. A Q & A period will follow with Nancy Childs, Ph.D., professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph's, as moderator.
Concurrent panel sessions offered at 11:20 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. will explore the issues impacting the industry and the consumer from three perspectives:
Food Policy: with Allison Topper, executive director, Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA), and Richard Frank, senior principal attorney, Olson, Frank and Weeda, P.C. Key Consumer Insights: with Indra Mehrotra, director, General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition; Pat Kiernan, president, Day/Kiernan & Associates, and Dr. Marcia Shurer, president, Culinary Connections
SJU Speaks: showcasing the research findings of three Saint Joseph's food marketing faculty whose work has focused on anti-obesity iniitiatives: Professor Lord; Nancy Childs, Ph.D., and Richard George, Ph.D.
Those who attend the March 8 Food Industry Summit will receive a monograph of five pieces of research by Saint Joseph's HSB faculty. Titled "Obesity: Impact and Issues for the Food Industry," it includes:
--Food Advertising on Children's Television: an Exploratory Look at changes in Products and Appeals 2000-2005, which documents the lack of change in food processors' and restaurants' advertising messages and products targeting children;
--Adolescents and Food: Implications for Food Marketers, assessing the attitudes and constraints underlying adolescents' food choices during the course of the school day;
--Impact of Obesity Concerns on Shareholders' Wealth of Large Food Manufacturers, identifying the loss to shareholders following the release of the World Health Organization's report citing obesity as a "global epidemic;"
--Marketing Activities Addressing Childhood Obesity in the Food Retail Sector, outlining the techniques used by retailers and the opportunities for promoting anti-obesity practices;
--Estimating the Spatial Distribution of Adult Obesity, through a study of the state of Indiana, determining the high- risk areas by spatially mapping concentrated locales of obesity within a community to better understand contributing factors and provide targeted interventions.
"The Summit will provide a comprehensive assessment of how the food industry can contribute to healthy eating and healthy lifestyles overall within the context of social responsibility, while not losing sight of the need to create shareholder value," Lord said.
The cost of the one-day program is $149. Space is limited. To register, go to http://foodindustrysummit.sju.edu
Background: Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive, educational experience. One of only 142 schools with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,150 full-time undergraduates and 2,700 graduate, part-time and doctoral students. Steeped in the 450-year Jesuit tradition of scholarship and service, Saint Joseph's was recently named to the 2006 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for General Community Service. The University strives to be recognized as the preeminent Catholic comprehensive university in the Northeast.
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