BabushkaLady
20th January 2011, 01:52 PM
With the First Lady? Gotta Wonder Why . . . . Not out of the goodness of their hearts . . . .
Walmart Launches Major Initiative to Make Food Healthier and Healthier Food More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 20, 2011 – At an event today in Washington, D.C., Walmart, the nation’s largest grocer, unveiled a comprehensive effort to provide its customers with healthier and more affordable food choices. The company was joined by First Lady Michelle Obama as it outlined the five key elements of the program including:
Reformulating thousands of everyday packaged food items by 2015 by reducing sodium 25 percent and added sugars 10 percent, and by removing all remaining industrially produced trans fats. The company will work with suppliers to improve the nutritional quality of national food brands and its Great Value private brand in key product categories to complete the reformulations; Making healthier choices more affordable, saving customers approximately $1 billion per year on fresh fruits and vegetables through a variety of sourcing, pricing, and transportation and logistics initiatives that will drive unnecessary costs out of the supply chain. Walmart will also dramatically reduce or eliminate the price premium on key “better-for-you” items, such as reduced sodium, sugar or fat products; Developing strong criteria for a simple front-of-package seal that will help consumers instantly identify truly healthier food options such as whole grain cereal, whole wheat pasta or unsweetened canned fruit; Providing solutions to address food deserts by building stores in underserved communities that are in need of fresh and affordable groceries; and Increasing charitable support for nutrition programs that help educate consumers about healthier food solutions and choices.
“No family should have to choose between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford,” said Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S. “With more than 140 million customer visits each week, Walmart is uniquely positioned to make a difference by making food healthier and more affordable to everyone. We are committed to working with suppliers, government and non-governmental organizations to provide solutions that help Americans eat healthier and live a better life.”
This program builds on the success of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign to make healthy choices more convenient and affordable for families and is consistent with Walmart’s commitment to lead on social issues that matter to its customers.
“We applaud First Lady Michelle Obama’s leadership and commitment to this important cause,” said Leslie Dach, executive vice president of corporate affairs at Walmart. “Few individuals have done more to raise awareness of the importance of healthier habits—especially among children—than she has. She was a catalyst that helped make today’s announcement a reality and her spirit of collaboration made our commitment to bring better nutrition to kitchen tables across this country even stronger.”
. . .
the full story here: (http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/10514.aspx)
Walmart Launches Major Initiative to Make Food Healthier and Healthier Food More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 20, 2011 – At an event today in Washington, D.C., Walmart, the nation’s largest grocer, unveiled a comprehensive effort to provide its customers with healthier and more affordable food choices. The company was joined by First Lady Michelle Obama as it outlined the five key elements of the program including:
Reformulating thousands of everyday packaged food items by 2015 by reducing sodium 25 percent and added sugars 10 percent, and by removing all remaining industrially produced trans fats. The company will work with suppliers to improve the nutritional quality of national food brands and its Great Value private brand in key product categories to complete the reformulations; Making healthier choices more affordable, saving customers approximately $1 billion per year on fresh fruits and vegetables through a variety of sourcing, pricing, and transportation and logistics initiatives that will drive unnecessary costs out of the supply chain. Walmart will also dramatically reduce or eliminate the price premium on key “better-for-you” items, such as reduced sodium, sugar or fat products; Developing strong criteria for a simple front-of-package seal that will help consumers instantly identify truly healthier food options such as whole grain cereal, whole wheat pasta or unsweetened canned fruit; Providing solutions to address food deserts by building stores in underserved communities that are in need of fresh and affordable groceries; and Increasing charitable support for nutrition programs that help educate consumers about healthier food solutions and choices.
“No family should have to choose between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford,” said Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S. “With more than 140 million customer visits each week, Walmart is uniquely positioned to make a difference by making food healthier and more affordable to everyone. We are committed to working with suppliers, government and non-governmental organizations to provide solutions that help Americans eat healthier and live a better life.”
This program builds on the success of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign to make healthy choices more convenient and affordable for families and is consistent with Walmart’s commitment to lead on social issues that matter to its customers.
“We applaud First Lady Michelle Obama’s leadership and commitment to this important cause,” said Leslie Dach, executive vice president of corporate affairs at Walmart. “Few individuals have done more to raise awareness of the importance of healthier habits—especially among children—than she has. She was a catalyst that helped make today’s announcement a reality and her spirit of collaboration made our commitment to bring better nutrition to kitchen tables across this country even stronger.”
. . .
the full story here: (http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/10514.aspx)