To help Americans make the food and beverage choices important to healthier living, ConAgra Foods will feature the Smart Choices Program logo, a labeling program unveiled at the American Dietetic Association’s annual expo, on its products.

The Smart Choices Program symbol, to be shown on the front of food packages, identifies more nutritious choices within specific product categories as well as calories per serving and servings per container.

“At a time when consumers need to get more value than ever from their food dollars, we should keep in mind that good nutrition is an important component of value,” said Gary Rodkin, ConAgra Foods CEO. “Making healthful choices every day could save Americans, and our country, significant money in the way of reduced healthcare costs related to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions that have proven links to the food and beverage choices we make each day.”

The Smart Choices Program was driven by consumer demand for a single, trusted and reliable front-of-pack nutrition labeling program that food manufacturers and retailers could voluntarily adopt to help consumers make more nutritious food and beverage choices that fit within their daily calorie needs.

The Smart Choices Program logo may only be used on products that meet certain science-based nutrition criteria, says ConAgra.

“Since the launch of the Healthy Choice brand 20 years ago, ConAgra Foods has been committed to providing consumers with options that make putting a meal on the table healthful and convenient. By featuring the Smart Choices Program logo on our products, we believe consumers will have an added layer of convenience when they’re looking for products that help them meet their health goals,” said Patty Packard, MS, RD, ConAgra Foods director of nutrition. “Moreover, at a time when consumers need to get more value than ever from their food dollars, getting good nutrition from their food choices also becomes more important than ever.”

Smart Choices Program was developed by a coalition of the nation’s leading authorities on food, nutrition and health, including a diverse coalition of scientists, academicians, health and research organizations, food and beverage manufacturers and retailers. The program was developed under the leadership of The Keystone Center, a non-profit organization that specializes in creating consensus solutions to public health problems.

The coalition is dedicated to transparency, making its process and nutrition criteria publicly available. Additionally, the program was designed to be flexible and sustainable – allowing for revisions as new public policy, dietary guidelines and science emerges.

Source: ConAgra Foods