Tony Freytag and Lori Taylor Continue the Conversation from Food as Medicine Summit
June 15, 2023 – The recent Food as Medicine Summit held on May 10 and 11 in Chicago featured Lori Taylor, Founder & CEO of The Produce Moms BB #:366223 and Tony Freytag, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of Crunch Pak BB #:171819. Taylor served as a delegate and Freytag as a speaker/panelist at the summit. The theme of this year’s summit was Moving from Research to Action: Partnerships and Scaling Food as Medicine. Participants in the summit included a broad network of industries as well as philanthropic organizations, research organizations and academic institutions. Taylor and Freytag represented the produce industry at the event.
The food as medicine movement includes components such as produce prescriptions and medically tailored meal programs supported by government and private health insurance funding. “The produce industry has an opportunity to take that one step further with medically tailored, healthy snack offerings and that is why I was excited to have Crunch Pak represent the produce industry at the summit”, explains Freytag. When the Food As Medicine Conference officials asked Freytag for a future headline for their summit program, he replied, “Good Eating Puts Big Pharma Out of Business!” Freytag continues, “It’s certainly possible, and it is happening with the Food as Medicine Movement with produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals. Why not add medically tailored snack offerings?”
“The food as medicine movement is a win for the produce industry and offers us the opportunity to build something. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a solution in every way, and Tony and I want to make sure that the produce industry is involved and fully represented as the movement progresses,” claims Taylor. “The private sector and household role in Food As Medicine is tremendous. We must raise awareness of the funding that is available now for healthcare interventions such as produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals.”, exclaims Taylor. Hence, Freytag and Taylor launched the idea of the TPM Food as Medicine podcast mini-series as a way to continue the discussion in a forum easily accessible to consumers, and business stakeholders alike.
The Produce Moms Podcast kicked off the Food as Medicine mini-series with Taylor and Freytag co-hosting the series intro on Wednesday, June 7th. In this podcast mini-series, TPM delves into the Food as Medicine movement, exploring its benefits and practical ways to incorporate the FAM approach into daily life. Taylor and Freytag took cues from their experience at the Food as Medicine Summit and curated expert voices from the movement which include the following guest lineup:
June 14 – Mark Walker, Chairman and CEO of Performance Kitchen
June 21 – Holly Freishtat, Senior Director of Feeding Change, Milken Institute
June 28 – Chef Robert Graham MD, Doctor/Co-Founder FRESH Medicine and CMO at FRESH MED U
July 5 – Taylor Newman, Director of Nutrition, Kroger
Taylor adds, “Crunch Pak understands the importance of food as medicine and strives to make healthy choices more accessible to everyone. As a leading producer of ready-to-eat fresh fruits and vegetables, they offer a wide range of products that cater to diverse dietary preferences and lifestyles. We are honored to have them as co-creator and sponsor of this series.”
About THE PRODUCE MOMS
The Produce Moms is a widely recognized consumer brand and certified B Corporation that is on a mission to put more fruits and vegetables on every table. Founded by Lori Taylor, we are a global community of passionate fresh produce advocates. Through our platforms and produce supplier partnerships, The Produce Moms educates consumers on the benefits of eating fresh produce, the growing process, and how to select, store and serve fruits and vegetables. We introduce our community to produce brands, engage the produce industry with consumers in inspiring conversations, and promote public policy to increase the availability of fresh produce at American schools. The Produce Moms digital platforms, podcast, television appearances, and consumer products reach millions per month and support the brand’s goal to increase produce consumption in both volume & variety. For more information, please visit theproducemoms.com
About CRUNCH PAK
Crunch Pak is the industry leader in fresh sliced apples. Founded in 2000, Crunch Pak is committed to providing the highest quality organic and conventional sliced apples in the market. Crunch Pak’s family of brands includes Crunch Pak with Disney, Crunch Pak with Nickelodeon, and Crunch Pak Organics. The primary distribution is via retail channels; annually Crunch Pak creates more than 1 billion apple slices in Cashmere, Wash. www.Crunchpak.com
