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Kroger launches OptUp app

7/17/2018
Kroger has introduced OptUp, an app aimed at helping shoppers make healthier, informed choices in the aisle. The app will score products on a 1-to-100 scale based on a national dietary standard that’s enhanced by Kroger’s registered dietitians, with higher scores correlating with healthier products.

“Kroger's new OptUP app is transformational for the food retail industry,” said Colleen Lindholz, Kroger's president of pharmacy and the Little Clinic. “The app puts nutritional information at your fingertips and makes finding and buying better-for-you products easier and simpler.”

Products fall into green, yellow and red categories. Green products (scores of 71 or higher) tend to be lower in saturated fat, sodium, sugar and calories and can be higher in fiber, protein and fruit/vegetable or nut content. Yellow category products ranfe in score from 36 to 70 and red items rate between 1 and 35.

In May, Lindholz told Drug Store News that the app is designed to gradually help shoppers make healthier choices.

“We’re trying to help our customers make better food choices, but not go from A to Z overnight,” Lindholz said. “If I’m eating [cookies] for the last five years and that’s my snack, you’re not going to take me to broccoli or even grapes if [cookies] are what I love. What’s great about this app is it suggests items that are higher in nutrients, [but] not that much higher.”

The app was the product of collaboration between Kroger’s health, tech, digital and 84.51° teams, according to chief digital office Yael Cosset. "The data-driven app creates a more transparent and educational experience for our customers, continuing our commitment to help Americans shop, eat, and live healthier on their terms,” Cosset said.

The app is free in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store
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