Nutrition gets a brand new look

Kellogg Canada helps consumers “get the facts” with new front-of-pack nutrition labelling tool.

Kellogg Canada is once again helping consumers to make better informed food choices with the introduction of a new, easy-to-use labelling feature that takes key nutrition information Canadians are interested in knowing more about and highlights it on the front of the package.

Beginning in September 2007, the front of Kellogg’s ready-to-eat cereal packages will feature a factual, at-a-glance banner on the top right-hand corner called Get the Facts - highlighting amount of calories, total fat, sodium and sugar per serving. It will also identify the nutrients Canadian consumers can benefit from by eating cereal including fibre, iron and thiamin.

In June, Kellogg committed to unveiling the innovative Get the Facts feature in Canada, along with a promise to change the way it markets food to children. “The current nutrition environment and evolving consumer expectations have created an opportunity for Kellogg’s to play an even greater role in helping consumers to make better informed food choices,” said Christine Lowry, Vice President, Nutrition and Corporate Affairs, Kellogg Canada. “With the launch of Get the Facts, we’re building on our rich history and tradition of providing factual nutrition information on our packaging.”

Get the Facts is not a new recommendation or standard for healthy eating – instead, the fact-based labelling system is based on the principles of Canada’s Food Guide and is consistent with Health Canada’s mandatory nutrition labelling. Kellogg first pioneered a similar system in Europe and Australia, where the labelling approach has been well-received by consumers and adopted by the industry.

“We believe this is an important fact-based tool and an interim step towards identifying an industry-wide approach to front-of-pack labelling,” adds Lowry. “We will continue to work with government and encourage others in the industry to join in this effort to help consumers make fast, simple and informed decisions in the cereal aisles.”

How to Use Get the Facts
Consumers can use Get the Facts on Kellogg’s ready-to eat cereals to evaluate products, make comparisons and adjust their food choices. Get the Facts is based on the Daily Values (DV) for a 2,000 calorie diet, just like the Nutrition Facts table. Your daily values may be higher or lower, depending on your calorie needs.

Everyone can use the information in Get the Facts, even if your individual recommendations are more or less than the DV. The %DV provides a quick and easy evaluation of a food’s nutritional value.

A March 2007 International Food Information Council (IFIC) presentation confirms consumers’ preference to see key nutrition information moved to the front of packaging. Consumer research conducted in 2005 by IFIC shows that consumers would use labels more often if they were easier to interpret less complicated and had larger print.

• Evaluate Products: The %DV shows, at a glance, if there is “a little” or “a lot” of a nutrient in a serving of food. You can think of %DV as a ruler that puts nutrients on the same scale (from 0% to 100%). The %DV can help you plan your food choices throughout the day.
• Make Comparisons: Use the %DV to compare the nutrients in one product to a similar product. Just make sure that the serving sizes are about the same. Get the Facts clearly labels the serving size of each cereal.
• Adjust Your Food Choices: You can use the %DV to help track your food choices and make any required adjustments. For example, if you eat a food where the %DV for fibre is low, you can make adjustments by choosing foods with a higher %DV at other times of the day. 

Get the Facts will be supported through a comprehensive consumer education program that will include print advertising, public relations, health care professional outreach and an online consumer website to be launched in November 2007.