Spartan brand hits shelves with front-of-pack nutrition labeling
March 11, 2015
Spartan FOP labeling
Spartan Stores' Spartan brand packaging will now include front of the packaging nutrition icons making the company one of the first retailers in the nation to do so. The new labels support the voluntary Facts Up Front nutrition labeling system designed by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturing Association (GMA).
Spartan Stores has voluntarily placed the Facts Up Front nutrition icons on the front of products to highlight calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar per serving, the daily value percentages for saturated fat and sodium, plus up to two icons showing "nutrients to be encouraged," such as fiber, protein, calcium and vitamins.
Facts Up Front is designed to help busy consumers—especially parents—make informed decisions when they shop.
Spartan Stores was in the process of redesigning more than 2,000 Spartan brand labels in January 2011 when the GMA and FMI Boards of Directors—which together represent more than 80 percent of packaged food and beverage sales in the U.S.—unanimously endorsed the Facts Up Front (formerly known as Nutrition Keys) initiative. The $50 million dollar Facts Up Front consumer education campaign will launch in early 2012, when consumers will see the new icons on a majority of products in the marketplace. In anticipation, GMA and FMI also launched a new Facts Up Front web site: www.factsupfront.org.
According to Alan Hartline, Spartan Stores evp merchandising and marketing, "Spartan Stores is committed to providing its D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare, Glen's, VG's and 375 independent Spartan Stores' customers with easy to read and understand nutrition labeling on more than 2,000 Spartan brand products. This is a tremendous voluntary undertaking, but we believe our customers will appreciate the Facts Up Front labeling as they can help them quickly make healthier decisions on food and beverage choices. We wanted to get the labels on products as quickly as possible."
Roll out of the Facts Up Front new labeling system is already on the following product categories:
•Spartan Frozen Chicken, in stores now.
•Spartan Baked Beans, in stores now.