Policy work relating to ultraprocessed food as a driver of mental illness and chronic disease
J Bruning made this Official Information request to Shane Reti
The request was partially successful.
From: J Bruning
Dear Dr Reti,
There is increasing evidence that ultraprocessed food may comprise up to and beyond, 60% of the calorific diets in Australia, Canada, the USA and New Zealand. As I have discussed:
'In the USA young people under age 19 consume on average 67% of their diet, while adults consume around 60% of their diet in ultra-processed food. Ultra-processed food contributes 60% of UK children’s calories; 42% of Australian children’s calories and over half the dietary calories for children and adolescents in Canada. In New Zealand in 2009-2010, ultra-processed foods contributed to the 45% (12 months), 42% (24 months), and 51% (60 months) of energy intake to the diets of children.'
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-sile...
What are they? Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB, et al. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition. 2019;22(5):936-941. doi:10.1017/S1368980018003762
It is strange that ultraprocessed foods are never discussed or mentioned by the Ministry of Health. https://www.health.govt.nz/search/result...
There is strong evidence that diets high in ultraprocessed food are associated with a diverse array of adverse health outcomes (Lane et al 2024):
Convincing evidence (class I) supported direct associations between greater ultra-processed food exposure and higher risks of:
- incident cardiovascular disease related mortality;
- type 2 diabetes;
- prevalent anxiety outcomes;
- combined common mental disorder outcomes.
Highly suggestive (class II) evidence indicated that greater exposure to ultra-processed foods was directly associated higher risks of:
- incident all cause mortality;
- heart disease related mortality (hazard ratio 1.66, 1.51 to 1.84; low);
- type 2 diabetes;
- depressive outcomes;
- prevalent adverse sleep related outcomes;
- wheezing;
- obesity
Lane MM, Gamage E, Du S, Ashtree DN, McGuinness AJ, Gauci S, Baker P, Lawrence M, Rebholz CM, Srour B, Touvier M, Jacka FN, O'Neil A, Segasby T, Marx W. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. BMJ. 2024 Feb 28;384:e077310. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2023-077310. PMID: 38418082; PMCID: PMC10899807.
The 2024 Health Status Report does not mention ultraprocessed food, yet mentions equity thirty times and inequity over 60 times. Processed meat is noted as harmful.
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/publicati...
Professor Boyd Swinburn noted on X that you are yet to discuss prevention of chronic illness as an intervention that would reduce pressure on hospitals and medical clinics.
NZ fruit and veg prices are going up way faster than processed food.
https://theconversation.com/the-cost-of-...
As I have discussed 'Official Information Act (OIA) requests confirm that the Ministries’ Directors General who are responsible for setting policy and long-term strategy aren’t considering these issues. The problem of multimorbidity and the overlapping, entangled relationship with ultra-processed food is outside of the scope of the work programme of the top directorates in our health agency. '
As a series of OIA requests have identified, the Ministry of Health is not considering ultraprocessed food as a driver of chronic illness, nor it is factoring in the costs of multimorbidity. In New Zealand the costs of multimorbidity is multiscalar, and it is more common to have multiple illnesses than a single illness.
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-sile...
Appropriations for budget 2024/2025 Vote Health does not mention nutrition or diet.
https://budget.govt.nz/budget/pdfs/estim...
$16 million in Vote Health has been set aside for 'This category is limited to health science research, leadership, analysis and publishing quality evidence, data and insights.'
To date the Ministry of Health groups (and Directorates) that access this funding have not considered ultraprocessed food as a driver for multifactorial disease, including the diseases which are growing in prevalence.
(The terrible Health Status Report 2023 (February 2024) cannot give New Zealanders up-to-date prevalence information. It gives New Zealanders graphs instead of basic data. The 2019 Health and Independence report can give Kiwis a better idea of changing patterns, but the data is still poor due to ongoing gaps, because the research funding is not available.)
Appropriations for budget 2024/2025 Vote Business, Science and Innovation does not mention nutrition or diet.
https://budget.govt.nz/budget/pdfs/estim...
- just under $125 million for the Health Research Fund to achieve an improvement in health and well‑being through health research
However, the Health Research Council's funding scope prioritises 'health delivery'. Diet and nutrition are not mentioned nor prioritised in the 'health delivery'.
https://hrc.govt.nz/sites/default/files/...
Funding priorities are based on The New Zealand Health Research Prioritisation Framework. Every researcher understands that broad, interdisciplinary enquiry/research falls outside these parameters as this research is difficult to classify as 'excellent' and falls outside 'innovation' expectations. This may help explain why the Ministry of Health is so poorly informed about ultraprocessed food and the harm to physical and mental health.
OIA REQUEST
As Minister of Health, please provide:
a) All memos, policy advice and information you have considered relating to ultraprocessed food as a driver of physical and mental illness since coming into office.
b) All plans by your office to investigate diets high in ultraprocessed food as a predominant driver of mental and physical illness.
c) How funding will be prioritised to ensure that research including (i) assessment of the current scientific literature on ultraprocessed food and health/multimorbidity can be undertaken; and (ii)the extent of calorific dependence on ultraprocessed in New Zealand by age and ethnic status, may be undertaken.
d) Please supply the list of all meetings and names of groups and individuals discussing diet and/or nutrition and/or ultraprocessed foods since coming into office.
e) The Ministry of Health does not recognise metabolic syndrome, instead considering: ‘The conditions referred to are considered either on their own or as part of a broader cardiovascular disease risk calculation.’ As a medical doctor and Minister of Health do you think this perspective reflects the current state of scientific knowledge? Do you have plans to address this quirky anomaly?
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
J Bruning
From: Shane Reti (MIN)
Shane Reti
Kia ora
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Ngâ mihi
Office of Hon Dr Shane Reti
Minister of Health
Minister for Pacific Peoples
Email: [email address]
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
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From: Shane Reti (MIN)
Shane Reti
Kia ora J,
Thank you for your request for official information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Office of Hon Dr Shane Reti. You
requested:
a) All memos, policy advice and information you have considered relating
to ultraprocessed food as a driver of physical and mental illness since
coming into office.
b) All plans by your office to investigate diets high in ultraprocessed
food as a predominant driver of mental and physical illness.
c) How funding will be prioritised to ensure that research including (i)
assessment of the current scientific literature on ultraprocessed food and
health/multimorbidity can be undertaken; and (ii)the extent of calorific
dependence on ultraprocessed in New Zealand by age and ethnic status, may
be undertaken.
d) Please supply the list of all meetings and names of groups and
individuals discussing diet and/or nutrition and/or ultraprocessed foods
since coming into office.
e) The Ministry of Health does not recognise metabolic syndrome, instead
considering: ‘The conditions referred to are considered either on their
own or as part of a broader cardiovascular disease risk calculation.’ As a
medical doctor and Minister of Health do you think this perspective
reflects the current state of scientific knowledge? Do you have plans to
address this quirky anomaly?
The reference number for your request is: SROIA-221
As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Office will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. You can expect a response by 3
September 2024.
Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [1][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602.
Ngā mihi
Office of Hon Dr Shane Reti
Minister of Health
Minister for Pacific Peoples
Email: [2][email address]
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
show quoted sections
From: hnzOIA
Tēnā koe,
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Ngā mihi
Health NZ, Te Whatu Ora.
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From: Shane Reti (MIN)
Shane Reti
Dear J Bruning
Your request for official information, reference: SROIA-221
Thank you for your email asking for the following information under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
a) All memos, policy advice and information you have considered relating
to ultraprocessed food as a driver of physical and mental illness since
coming into office.
b) All plans by your office to investigate diets high in ultraprocessed
food as a predominant driver of mental and physical illness.
c) How funding will be prioritised to ensure that research including (i)
assessment of the current scientific literature on ultraprocessed food and
health/multimorbidity can be undertaken; and (ii)the extent of calorific
dependence on ultraprocessed in New Zealand by age and ethnic status, may
be undertaken.
d) Please supply the list of all meetings and names of groups and
individuals discussing diet and/or nutrition and/or ultraprocessed foods
since coming into office.
e) The Ministry of Health does not recognise metabolic syndrome, instead
considering: ‘The conditions referred to are considered either on their
own or as part of a broader cardiovascular disease risk calculation.’ As a
medical doctor and Minister of Health do you think this perspective
reflects the current state of scientific knowledge? Do you have plans to
address this quirky anomaly?
We are writing to notify you that we are extending the timeframe for
responding to your request, to 17 September 2024. This extension is to
allow time to carry out necessary consultations.
We apologise for this delay, and will endeavour to send you a final
response as soon as practicable.
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a
complaint to the Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available
at [1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi
Office of Hon Dr Shane Reti
Minister of Health
Minister for Pacific Peoples
Email: [2][email address]
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
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From: Shane Reti (MIN)
Shane Reti
Kia ora J Bruning,
Please find the response to your request for information attached. Please
accept our apologies for the delay in providing this to you, a technical
issue meant it was unable to be sent yesterday.
Ngā mihi
Office of Hon Dr Shane Reti
Minister of Health
Minister for Pacific Peoples
Email: [1][email address]
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
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From: Matthew Doocey (MIN)
Shane Reti
Dear J Burning,
On 18/9/2024 we have received the below partial transfer of your request
under the Official Information Act 1982 from the Office of Hon Dr Shane
Reti.
“d) Please supply the list of all meetings and names of groups and
individuals discussing diet and/or nutrition and/or ultraprocessed foods
since coming into office.”
As such the new due date for this part of your OIA request is 16/10/2024.
Yours sincerely
Office of Hon Matt Doocey
Minister for ACC | Minister for Mental Health | Minister for Tourism and
Hospitality | Minister for Youth |
Associate Minister of Health | Associate Minister of Transport
DDI: 04 817 6812
Email: [1][email address] Website: [2]www.Beehive.govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
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2. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/
From: Matthew Doocey (MIN)
Shane Reti
Dear J Bruning
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) to the Minister of Health, Hon Dr Shane Reti. Your request was
partially transferred to the office of Hon Matt Doocey on 17 September
2024 for the below:
“Please supply the list of all meetings and names of groups and
individuals discussing diet and/or nutrition and/or ultraprocessed foods
since coming into office.”
Minister Doocey has met with Officials from the Ministry of Health and
Health New Zealand on a number of occasions as part of routine meetings to
discuss his Associate Minister of Health portfolio delegation for
nutrition.
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [1][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602.
Yours sincerely
Office of Hon Matt Doocey
Minister for ACC | Minister for Mental Health | Minister for Tourism and
Hospitality | Minister for Youth |
Associate Minister of Health | Associate Minister of Transport
DDI: 04 817 6812
Email: [email address] Website: [2]www.Beehive.govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
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References
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2. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/
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Dan Moskovitz left an annotation ()
A couple of issues with this:
The Ombudsmans guide states that "Any decision to transfer a request to another agency for response must be made promptly and
no later than 10 working days after the agency received the request (unless a valid extension
of that time limit is made within 20 working days of the original request)." While there was an extension in this case, I see no reason why Minister Reti's office could not have transferred to Minister Doocey's office more promptly - it shouldn't have taken them the entire time period + extension to figure that out.
Ombudsman guide: https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...
In addition, I think there are issues with Minister Reti's excuse for not answering point e) - while gaining his opinion might not be kosher under the act, you do ask if he has plans as minister of health to address the anomaly, which I would argue is seeking information via asking questions.
I would recommend raising these complaints with his office and/or complaining to the Ombudsman.
Link to this