FOOD Program: What it is and what its objectives are
23 de May, 2025
May 24, 2025 marks the portuguese National Obesity Day, which is celebrated annually on the penultimate Saturday of May. This date was established in 2004, when obesity was officially recognized as a chronic disease in Portugal.
Obesity refers to excessive fat deposits that can be harmful to health. It is considered one of the biggest public health problems worldwide and has therefore been described by the World Health Organization as the epidemic of the 21st century.
According to this organization, by 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world would be living with obesity. Furthermore, since 1990, obesity has more than doubled in the adult population and quadrupled in the adolescent population.
This scenario illustrates the need to make people aware of the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced, nutritious diet.
That’s why Edenred launched the FOOD Program. Find out what this program consists of and what its objectives are.
Read also: Ideal Policy: Edenred’s 3 pillars of social responsibility
What is the FOOD Program?
The FOOD Program (Fighting Obesity through Offer and Demand) was launched by the Edenred Group in 2009 with the support of the European Union. This project aims to raise people’s awareness of the importance of making healthier, more nutritious and balanced food choices.
To this end, the program brings together public authorities, nutritionists, university researchers and several Edenred Group subsidiaries.
In Portugal, the FOOD Program is run in partnership with the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
Objectives of the FOOD Program
The FOOD Program has taken on the mission of generating information and knowledge about health, promoting health and, ultimately, improving the health of citizens. All this by raising awareness and implementing practical measures that make it easier to adopt a healthier diet.
The two main lines of action of this program are:
- Consumers: educating them and helping them to make more informed and balanced food choices;
- Restaurants: improving the nutritional quality of the meals and food provided.
In order for this to happen, specific actions need to be taken, such as collecting recommendations from experts, transforming these recommendations into practical guides, disseminating this information and implementing training strategies for the different target audiences.
The Edenred Group closely monitors various indicators to measure the impact of these initiatives. One of these indicators is, for example, the percentage of consumers and restaurant managers impacted by information on healthy eating and food waste under the FOOD Program. In 2023, this percentage was 60%, and the aim is to reach 85% by 2030.
If you’d like to cook healthier meals but don’t have any ideas, check out this FOOD Program recipe site. Here you’ll find balanced, traditional recipes designed by European chefs from countries such as Portugal, Italy, Austria, Belgium, France, Romania or Slovakia.