General Mills to feature Smart Choices nutrition labeling on packaging

MINNEAPOLIS Reflecting its support of a national initiative designed to promote public health, General Mills soon will feature a new nutrition labeling system on its packaging.

Smart Choices is the first-ever uniform front-of-package nutrition labeling program. Approximately 500 products from eight companies (General Mills, ConAgra Foods, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Sun-Maid, Unilever ? U.S., Tyson and Kellogg Company ? U.S.) have qualified for the Smart Choices’ green check mark in the program?s 19 categories. The number of products is expected to more than double by next spring.

Dozens of General Mills products will carry the green check mark, including Yoplait Light yogurts, Green Giant frozen vegetables, most Progresso lower-sodium soups and virtually all Big G cereals, including all kid cereals. The company plans to phase in the use of Smart Choices to coincide with other packaging changes.

Smart Choices’ green check mark reflects standards on nutrients to limit (i.e. fats, cholesterol, sugar and sodium) and   for most categories   nutrients that one should consume.

The standards were derived from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, reports from the Institute of Medicine and other sources of authoritative nutrition guidance.

More information can be found at www.SmartChoicesProgram.com.

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