Market Food Rating System Has Influence
FALMOUTH,
Maine (AP) - A gold star rating system aimed at helping
food shoppers make healthier choices seems to have some influence
- meaning more Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran and Honey Nut Clusters
in shopping carts.
Hannaford
Bros., a New England supermarket chain, said sales of items that
earned at least one out of three stars outpaced similar products
that got no stars.
The
difference was greatest among packaged foods, including cereal,
canned goods, bakery items and snack foods. Hannaford said those
products that received stars grew 2 1/2 times faster than similar
items deemed less healthy.
The
system is based on a formula that Hannaford wants to patent. In
general, though, vitamins, minerals, fiber and whole grains earn
more stars. Added sodium, trans fats, saturated fats and cholesterol
mean fewer, or no, stars.
"I
love it. I absolutely do," Donna Lewis said Wednesday after
pushing her cart through the checkout line with her 5-year-old
son.
Lewis
uses the star system to teach her children, including two other
boys, about good nutrition. The star system make nutrition simple,
she said. Children easily understand it.
Some
of Hannaford's ratings are a no-brainer.
For
example, whole milk gets no stars, 1 percent milk gets two stars
and skim milk gets three stars. Whole-grain breads get more stars
than standard white flour. Virtually all fresh produce, from habaneros
to mangos, get three stars.
As
expected, Fruity Pebbles, Cap'n Crunch, Cocoa Puffs and similar
sugar-laden cereals get no stars. Ditto for Campbell's Spaghettio's
and Chef Boyardee Ravioli and Kraft Easy Mac. On the canned soup
aisle, there are practically no stars at all.
Mott's
four flavors of "Healthy Harvest" applesauce in kid-sized
serving containers gets two stars. Right next to those on the
shelf, Mott's Scooby Doo! "Pirates Punch" and "Mummy
Berry" flavors, which have added sugar, get no stars.
Kim
Marcotte of Falmouth was surprised to discover that a can of Nature's
Place Organic green beans she purchased had 380 milligrams of
salt. But Del Monte Fresh Cut's "Cut green beans" had
only 10 milligrams of salt, earning it stars.
"I
just assumed that because it was a vegetable, it would be good
for you," said Marcotte, who tries to buy organic products
for her young children.
Hannaford
said data suggest consumers are using the program.
Star-rated
frozen dinners grew 4 1/2 times faster than unstarred ones, and
breakfast cereals with stars grew 3 1/2 times faster than other
cereals, Hannaford said. Among other findings, sales of star-rated
ground beef grew 7 percent while other ground beef declined 5
percent; chicken that earned stars grew 5 percent, while other
chicken dropped 3 percent; fat-free milk grew 1 percent, and whole
milk dropped 4 percent.
Only a few food areas, including seafood, showed no change.
"The
fact that the movement of products with stars has been growing
steadily since the introduction of the program suggests to me
that customers are using the program," said Caren Epstein,
spokeswoman for Scarborough-based Hannaford.
The
Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy
group, said the findings are encouraging.
"It's
certainly a good step forward, and the entire supermarket industry
is watching Hannaford," said Michael Jacobson, the nonprofit's
executive director in Washington.
Hannaford
ratings cover more than 25,000 items now, and the chain plans
to begin including baby food starting Sept. 15. Star ratings for
oils will be in Hannaford stores later this year.
Already,
Guiding Stars has expanded to another supermarket chain, Florida-based
Sweetbay Supermarkets. And Food Lion is expected to launch the
program next year, Epstein said. All three chains are owned by
Delhaize America.
The
program comes as food makers, the government and others consider
various ranking schemes. Hannaford will present its findings at
a Food and Drug Administration hearing on Monday and Tuesday focusing
on front-label nutrition symbols.
Marcotte,
a shopper from Falmouth, said the Guiding Stars haven't changed
her buying habits overall. But it has allowed her to spend less
time studying food labels.
"It
has made it easier," she said. "When I go grocery shopping,
I go to the back and look for two things: hydrogenated oils and
high-fructose corn syrup. Now I don't have to spend as much time
reading the back of boxes."
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