Food And Beverage Companies Introduced 20,000 Healthier Product Choices
The 2010 “Health & Wellness Survey” by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) found that more than 20,000 “healthier product choices” were released into the marketplace from 2002 to 2009. The survey represents 50% of all food and beverage sales; 93% of companies are developing and marketing healthier products, and 91% are actively promoting healthier lifestyles.
In this survey of 57 food and beverage companies (representing about half of all U.S. food and beverage sales) researchers found that companies have (collectively):
- Eliminated or reduced trans fat in over 10,000 product choices
- Eliminated or reduced saturated fat in over 6,600 product choices
- Reduced sugar/carbohydrates in over 3,700 product choices
- Reduced the calorie content of over 3,500 product choices
- Reduced sodium in over 3,000 product choices
In addition, researchers found that:
- 93% of participant companies are developing, introducing and marketing healthier products
- 91% of participant companies actively promote healthy lifestyles in the marketplace
- 52% of participant companies have created child-specific product sizes
- 49% of participant companies have introduced single-serve packaging (e.g. 100-calorie packs)
Since 2002 food and beverage company spending on nutrition and health-related activities and grants to communities totaled over $130 million. Furthermore, 98% of participant companies have workplace wellness programs for their employees.