Dole Nutrition Institute
The Dole Nutrition Institute (DNI) is a research and education foundation founded in 2003 by David H. Murdock, chairman of Dole Food Company and an ardent practitioner of a nutrient-dense diet and fitness at age 87. The institute exists as a resource within Dole Food Company, performing research and offering educational publications on the benefits of a plant-based diet.
At Dole we believe that what you eat should give life—not limit it. Our message and our products are the answer to the nation’s obesity crisis.
The Dole Nutrition Institute was founded to help “feed the world with knowledge” about the benefits of a plant-based diet. As chairman of the world's largest provider of fresh fruit and vegetables, David H. Murdock wanted to go beyond offering healthy products. His mission: to cultivate the seeds of knowledge and provide the public with definitive, easily accessible, scientifically-validated information on nutrition and health.
The Dole Nutrition Institute harvests the latest findings from the finest universities around the world, including the eight universities collaborating with Dole scientists at the unprecedented North Carolina Research Campus, home of the Dole Nutrition Research Laboratory. We distribute this valuable info to consumers through a variety of vehicles: our multiple award-winning 2.5 million circulation, Dole Nutrition News, the recently published Dole Nutrition Handbook, videos, brochures, cookbooks and more.
The Dole Food Company has been an industry leader in children’s nutrition education for nearly twenty years. We have reached over 145,000 teachers, 48,000 schools and millions of kids and their families, providing educational materials and support. These include Teachers’ Toolkits, kids’ activity books, classroom curriculum, nutrition-oriented kids’ music and video games. Most recently we published a Dole Counting Book and are finalizing a new Kids’ Cookbook. Additionally, we have donated dozens of salad bars to public schools.
We believe in leading by example and so have created an employee wellness program encompassing a model cafeteria, fitness classes, trainers and seminars.