Taking the Guesswork Out of Healthy Shopping
July 30, 2008 -- Despite reports that the number of obese Americans is quickly growing, it is evident that many consumers are becoming more concerned about their health and wellness due to increasing sales of "better-for-you" products. The March 2008 Times & Trends report "2007 New Product Pacesetters" from IRI states, "The most successful new food and beverage brands addressed evolving consumer health and wellness needs -- not only weight management and nutrition, but also disease prevention and management; food and beverage health benefits will become increasingly specific in the coming years."
To help consumers easily understand what they are putting in their bodies, Food Lion, Unilever and PepsiCo have all created labeling systems that project the nutritional value of certain foods and beverages. Consumers can tell what foods are best for them by simply looking at the symbol on its package.
Unilever Offers "Choices"
Unilever PLC vows to keep a health-conscious heritage by creating foods that are infused with a "better-for-you" connotation in mind. To this end, Unilever introduced the "Choices" front-of-pack stamp, initially launched in the Netherlands in 2006, which identifies trans fats, saturated fats, sodium and sugar content, based on international dietary guidelines. According to Unilever's Web site, "Our aim is to introduce the Choices program in all key markets where Unilever is present by the end of 2008 - preferably with partners from across the food industry." The Choices program is also open to food industries and organizations, as other companies, retailers and caterers increasingly use the Choices stamp on their products that meet the criteria. An international governing body manages the implementation of the Choices program globally.
In addition, more than 22,000 Unilever products were assessed for tighter nutritional criteria. This huge variety of offerings also helps people stick to proper guidelines. With so many choices, consumers are more likely to find healthy products that meet their needs and tastes. For example, when it comes to mayonnaise, Unilever produces Hellmann's Original (80 percent fat), Hellmann's Light (37 percent fat) and Hellmann's Extra Light (7 percent fat). In fact, all the company's main brands offer variants such as: full fat or low fat, sweetened or unsweetened.
As mentioned, healthy options are nothing new in the Unilever portfolio. The company removed trans fats from its margarines in Europe in 1996 (so far, more than 30,000 tons of trans fats have been removed from Unilever products) and reduced the level of salt across its entire product range (so far, more than 3,000 tons of sodium have been removed from Unilever products). Furthermore, as a result of the nutritional enhancement program, Unilever has removed more than 17,000 tons of sugar from its products.
PepsiCo Gets Smart
PepsiCo Inc. developed the "Smart Spot," a system to show which PepsiCo beverages and foods have the best nutritional value. Launched in June 2004, the Smart Spot portfolio now boasts more than 300 PepsiCo products, including Gatorade, Tropicana Pure Premium Juice Blends, Baked! Lays and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars with protein, among many others. In line with nutrition criteria based on authoritative statements from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Academy of Sciences, all PepsiCo products bearing the Smart Spot must:
> Contain at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of a targeted nutrient (that is, protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C) and meet limits for fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugar, or
> Are formulated to have specific health or wellness benefits, or
> Are reduced in calories or fat, saturated fat, sodium or sugar.
Navigating The Store
Retailers, too, have tools in place to help consumers choose healthier options. Food Lion LLC recently implemented a system to help its customers know which groceries have the most nutritional value. The "Guiding Stars Nutrition Navigation System" officially launched in all Food Lion stores on July 21, 2008. Developed by an independent scientific advisory panel, Guiding Stars is a system in the United States that follows a specific algorithm for labeling food items based on their nutritional content. The number of stars -- one, two or three -- on the product's shelf tag represents the nutritional value of the food item, with three stars being the best choice.
To help consumers easily understand what they are putting in their bodies, Food Lion, Unilever and PepsiCo have all created labeling systems that project the nutritional value of certain foods and beverages. Consumers can tell what foods are best for them by simply looking at the symbol on its package.
Unilever Offers "Choices"
Unilever PLC vows to keep a health-conscious heritage by creating foods that are infused with a "better-for-you" connotation in mind. To this end, Unilever introduced the "Choices" front-of-pack stamp, initially launched in the Netherlands in 2006, which identifies trans fats, saturated fats, sodium and sugar content, based on international dietary guidelines. According to Unilever's Web site, "Our aim is to introduce the Choices program in all key markets where Unilever is present by the end of 2008 - preferably with partners from across the food industry." The Choices program is also open to food industries and organizations, as other companies, retailers and caterers increasingly use the Choices stamp on their products that meet the criteria. An international governing body manages the implementation of the Choices program globally.
In addition, more than 22,000 Unilever products were assessed for tighter nutritional criteria. This huge variety of offerings also helps people stick to proper guidelines. With so many choices, consumers are more likely to find healthy products that meet their needs and tastes. For example, when it comes to mayonnaise, Unilever produces Hellmann's Original (80 percent fat), Hellmann's Light (37 percent fat) and Hellmann's Extra Light (7 percent fat). In fact, all the company's main brands offer variants such as: full fat or low fat, sweetened or unsweetened.
As mentioned, healthy options are nothing new in the Unilever portfolio. The company removed trans fats from its margarines in Europe in 1996 (so far, more than 30,000 tons of trans fats have been removed from Unilever products) and reduced the level of salt across its entire product range (so far, more than 3,000 tons of sodium have been removed from Unilever products). Furthermore, as a result of the nutritional enhancement program, Unilever has removed more than 17,000 tons of sugar from its products.
PepsiCo Gets Smart
PepsiCo Inc. developed the "Smart Spot," a system to show which PepsiCo beverages and foods have the best nutritional value. Launched in June 2004, the Smart Spot portfolio now boasts more than 300 PepsiCo products, including Gatorade, Tropicana Pure Premium Juice Blends, Baked! Lays and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars with protein, among many others. In line with nutrition criteria based on authoritative statements from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Academy of Sciences, all PepsiCo products bearing the Smart Spot must:
> Contain at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of a targeted nutrient (that is, protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C) and meet limits for fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugar, or
> Are formulated to have specific health or wellness benefits, or
> Are reduced in calories or fat, saturated fat, sodium or sugar.
Navigating The Store
Retailers, too, have tools in place to help consumers choose healthier options. Food Lion LLC recently implemented a system to help its customers know which groceries have the most nutritional value. The "Guiding Stars Nutrition Navigation System" officially launched in all Food Lion stores on July 21, 2008. Developed by an independent scientific advisory panel, Guiding Stars is a system in the United States that follows a specific algorithm for labeling food items based on their nutritional content. The number of stars -- one, two or three -- on the product's shelf tag represents the nutritional value of the food item, with three stars being the best choice.