Approximately 500 products have been qualified to display the Smart Choices logo
The Smart Choices labeling logo has appeared on hundreds of packaged foods across the US. It would be applied across brands and retailers, marking the first front-of-pack scheme in the US, reported NUTRA ingredients-usa.com.
It uses simple green check mark to indicate that the food has reached “strict science-based nutrition criteria” based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This has been developed jointly by an alliance of nutritionists, scientists, food industry leaders and consumer organizations.
Eileen Kennedy Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, said: “The coalition worked very hard to develop nutrition criteria that met the highest of standards and a symbol consumers would appreciate and recognize when making choices at the point of purchase.”
About 500 products have been qualified to display the Smart Choices logo. These products include foods and beverages made by ConAgra Foods, Kellogg, General Mills, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Sun-Maid, Tyson and Unilever.
Qualification for the logo is based on three categories: Nutrients to limit, such as fat, sugar and sodium; nutrients to encourage, including vitamins and minerals; and food groups to encourage, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
Kennedy, said: “By providing a single, simple communication on the front of the package, the Smart Choices Program can help alleviate confusion in the supermarket and help today’s busy shoppers make smarter choices for their families in store and at home.”