[Portland] Oregon Restaurant Association President & CEO Michael McCallum praised the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners for their decision to partner with the food industry and other concerned health advocates in educating citizens regarding a healthy, well balanced diet, moderation and exercise. “As an important partner in the effort to promote healthy lifestyle choices for all Oregonians, the restaurant industry looks forward to working with the County on this concern,“ he said.

The Commission directed its Health Department to prepare a strategic plan to educate the public about the potential health hazards associated with a diet high in fat, including saturated and artificial trans fat. As part of the process in preparing this plan, the Health Department was instructed to make full use of current systems for distributing health information, including newsletters, websites and advertising. The Health Department was directed to make a report to the Board, with opportunity for additional public comment, by April 5.

“Commissioner Roberts demonstrated sensitivity and understanding of the issues that small businesses in Oregon face each day as he brought up concerns about the current limitations of healthy alternatives to products containing trans fats.”

McCallum particularly commended Commissioner Lisa Naito, who began the dialogue regarding trans fats in the American diet. “Commissioner Naito reiterated her support for the growing list of restaurants and food production companies that have begun moving away from using products containing artificial trans fats as healthy alternatives are developed," McCallum said. “Clearly, this trend is a result of market forces at work. Consumer demand for healthier choices is resulting in changes by business to meet that demand.”

“Commissioner Cogen’s proposal to educate the public on trans fat consumption showed his depth of knowledge around the greater issue of heart disease in Oregon. Commissioner Rojo de Steffey stepped forward on the issue of proper nutrition in school meals. And Chairman Wheeler aptly reminded us that the ‘best bang for the buck is public education,’ emphasizing that this farm-to-table issue is complex and will require practical, long-term solutions embraced by industry, regulators and the public. Director Lila Wickham of the Multnomah County Health Department has, for many years, been a champion of this partnership.”

“Restaurants in Oregon have been—and will continue to be—partners in the campaign to promote healthy lifestyles. We look forward to working with Multnomah County and the Department of Human Services as we encourage healthy lifestyle choices for all Oregonians.”

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The Oregon Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry in Oregon, which is comprised of over 9,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets, a work force of 120,000 employees, and a total economic impact of $9.7 billion - making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement. The Association works to represent educate and promote the rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit our Web site at www.ora.org.