Five-tins-a-day?

A tin of baked beans has the same healthy eating benefits as a portion of fruit or vegetables, according to a controversial marketing campaign from Heinz. In an unusual collaboration, the British Dietetic Association ( BDA​) has been working with the canned product manufacturer HJ Heinz in the UK to help consumers meet the target of five or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

As part of its 'Give me 5 campaign', the British Dietetic Association recommends that everyone eats five or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day as part of a healthy balanced diet. Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced products can all count towards this target.

According to the BDA, Heinz has worked out the amount of vegetable or fruit contained in around 70 of its products and has developed a new logo to show how many fruit or vegetable portions are in each serving of the product. The scheme was launched on the 18th April 2002.

Luci Daniels, Chairman of the British Dietetic Association said at the launch on Thursday: "On average people in Britain are only eating three portions of fruit and vegetables a day, which is just not enough. Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced products can all counts towards five-a-day.​

We support the introduction of Heinz's new on-pack logo. Choosing one or two canned foods along with other fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables can be a convenient way to reach your five-a-day target."​

In a statement the BDA said that their work with Heinz did not compromise the impartiality of its advice and that the money paid to them by the US food company will fund educational materials.

"It is important that the independence and integrity of the BDA is not compromised by collaborations. The ethos of this campaign is beneficial in terms of public awareness of the key nutrition issue of the promotion of fruit and vegetables,"​ the organisation stressed. This is certainly an area for discussion.