Orkla, Candy | Orkla chief should not regret

Orkla CEO Nils K. Selte defended NRK and lay on the surface as much as possibleAfter discovering that Orkla is among the many who have shrunk their merchandise to save money.

“Shrinkage” has become a word we’ve learned by now, and it’s about exactly that.

Agreed on calorie cuts

It is not good at all to deceive people. When eggs and other groceries get more expensive through clever packing tricks, it’s no good. But the fact that caramel bags, licorice boats, and teddy bears shrink also has a positive side. Small bags mean less sugar – and that’s good for our health.

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Deflation is not a uniquely Norwegian invention. But while Orkla’s president remains lying down and apologizing, the little bags are something that American colleagues take on as part of their social responsibility.

Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate Bag now weighs a little less, as do Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The Cadbury milk chocolate that can be bought now is 10 percent smaller than the previous version. It’s not just about cutting costs at a time when the prices of components, transportation, and labor are rising.

There is also one Part of a plan from 2017Candy giants Mars Wrigley, Ferrero (which owns Nestlé in the US), Ferrara and Lindt have joined forces to reduce the amount of calories in candy, introduce more sizes, and clearly mark calories on the front of a chocolate bar or candy bag.

Too much sugar

In Norway, we have a lot of unnecessary diseases and early death, as a result of disease that is influenced by lifestyle. We’re also part of a global weight gain trend. Up to 70 percent of us are overweight or obese, which increases our risk of developing serious diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The incidence among our children reaches 20% when we talk about overweight and obesity.

We don’t have much to deal with when our weight reaches a level that is a problem for our health. This is why prevention is so important.

Reducing sugar consumption is one of the most important things we can do to reduce the extent of health problems caused by being overweight.

If we are to succeed in this, we must adopt truly effective measures. One of the most effective is the high prices of unhealthy foods and the low prices of healthy food. Small adjustments here bring big gains to overall health.

In Norway, we currently have very few restrictions on advertising unhealthy foods and drinks. The rules limiting such marketing towards children and young adults are made and operated by the industry itself, and they limit little. Several other countries are looking at measures such as a three-for-two-offer ban on unhealthy foods and a requirement that sweets be removed from the exit area.

a lot of good

In Norway, we must also start doing something to reduce the health risk posed by being overweight and obese. Although sugar intake is low, it is still very high. Sweets and soft drinks with sugar are among our most important sources of sugar. Responsible producers and other business actors can make important contributions to do something about it.

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Having a little less teddy bear in the bag means less sugar, and with it a little less contribution to health risks. It’s not just one bag of caramel or licorice boats that tip the scales, but rather the sum of everything we ingest. When the chains of kiosks pay us buns at a low price, where you have to be bad at math or full of willpower to just buy one, and when the shocking sellers in the store offer big bags of the sweet stuff, it becomes too much of a good thing together.

Poor health has a significant cost to the affected person, but also to society. Therefore, it is also only natural that we as a society make better arrangements for good health choices, rather than paying everything to individuals.

Instead of the embarrassment of deflated bags of candy, the chief of Orkla should invite his colleagues to such a favor for our health, with smaller sizes and more visible markings.

This way they can join in and take on social responsibility.