DENVER — The United States Potato Board (USPB) has just been awarded the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® Role Model award on March 18th in Scottsdale, AZ, by the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH). It is a distinctive honor which recognizes non-retail organizations whose efforts strive to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, providing a significant step toward improving the health of America.
“We’re extremely proud and appreciative of the efforts contributed by all these Role Models and Champions to remind consumers that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is important through use of the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters logo and messaging,” said Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., president and CEO of PBH.
This year, the activities which earned the USPB recognition included linking to www.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org website; speaking about Fruits & Veggies—More Matters during meetings and presentations; and participating actively in this year’s “Half Your Plate” program, which encourages consumers to fill half their plate with fruits and vegetables. This year there was increased emphasis on cross-promoting the 2012 USPB sponsored plates in social media. Additionally, the USPB created a new plate: Scalloped Potatoes and Chicken with Fennel.
“We are delighted to be a part of a program that motivates consumers to ‘rebalance’ their plates with more fruits and vegetables,” said Meredith Myers, USPB Manager, Public Relations. “Plans are already in place for working hand-in-hand with PBH to inspire new, healthy ideas about potatoes throughout the next year.”
Since 1991, PBH has worked to motivate people to eat more fruits and vegetables to improve public health. The USPB is proud to have supported their efforts for more than a decade, and applauds their ongoing success with public health initiatives—first with the “5 A Day” program and, now, with the “Fruits & Veggies-More Matters” campaign.
“For more information, and to see the complete USPB Nutrition Programs Long Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2012-2016, please visit: www.uspotatoes.com/nutritionPrograms/.
For more information on the USPB as the nation’s potato marketing organization, positioned as the “catalyst for positive change,” and the central organizing force in implementing programs that will increase demand for potatoes, please visit www.uspotatoes.com.
David Fairbourn is Manager, Industry Communications & Policy, at the United States Potato Board in Denver. The mission of the USPB is to increase demand for potatoes and potato products through an integrated promotion program, thereby providing US producers with expanding markets for their production. David can be contacted at 303-369-7783 or david.fairbourn@uspotatoes.com. For complete information about the programs, ROI results, resources and tools available to all members of the industry through the USPB, please visit www.uspotatoes.com. The United States Potato Board—Maximizing Return on Grower Investment.
Source: United States Potato Board
