New body set up to promote healthy diet and lifestyle

The food industry and a number of state agencies have joined forces to establish a new body to help people who want to improve their diet and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Announcing the move today, the employers' body IBEC said the Nutrition and Health Foundation would run awareness campaigns on the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.

Spokesman Ciaran Fitzgerald said one of its first goals would be to make food labels more consumer-friendly.

"Consumers are confused about the issue of nutrition and health," he said, "so I think the first thing is that better information needs to be provided to consumers on things like food labels and food constituents and food contents."