Selling Health at the Grocery Store

By Meredith Guiness
FOR THE JOURNAL NEWS
March 18, 2007

Say you saw a product in the supermarket that promised it would deposit a colony of bacteria in your colon. Would you buy it?

If it referred to the bacteria as a friendly "probiotic" that could boost digestive health, yes, it turns out, you would. Based on advertising and packaging that claimed eating Dannon's Activia yogurt every day for two weeks would "reduce long intestinal transit time," customers spent about $130 million on the product in 2006.

"It's been the single most successful product launch in the history of yogurt," said Michael Neuwirth, a spokesman for The Dannon Co. in White Plains. "Digestive regularity is a real issue in this country."

But, whereas your grandmother might have spooned up some castor oil and Mom might have added an ear of corn to the dinner menu, today's consumers are looking for health in a lot of unlikely places. From buttery spreads said to lower cholesterol to vitamin-laced waters that promise to "go Rottweiler on exhaustion," the local supermarket has become a garden of unearthly delights with even the most processed of foods claiming to be good for you in some way or another.

Research-based health claims have been attached to foods for years - who can forget the miracle of oat bran? But the trend kicked into overdrive in 2003 when the Food and Drug Administration relaxed guidelines on what a company can claim its products will do, said Marcia Mogelonsky, a senior analyst with Mintel International who has studied food claims and customer reaction. In the past, a strong, scientifically proven link had to exist between the product and the health benefit. The new standards allow for a much looser definition of proof, with some products having only inconclusive scientific evidence behind their claims.

Before July 2003, 14 specific health claims were made by the FDA, including the relationships between calcium and osteoporosis, sodium and hypertension, and dietary fat and cancer. After July 2003, the FDA added three levels of claims, which require the product to bear qualifying language that can be as vague as "very limited and preliminary scientific research suggests" the claim is true.

"You have to have some rudimentary evidence, but that's all," Mogelonsky said. "Some things that weren't allowed to have any labeling before now can have some. And people are always looking to eat as well as they can, so they pay attention."

Knowing that, food producers now actively hunt down any and all healthy aspects of their foods. For instance, many products now claim they're gluten-free or lactose-free, which sounds healthier, though most people have no problem digesting gluten or lactose, Mogelonsky said.

Other companies add things to their products to boost their benefits, as Dannon did when it discovered the scientifically proven benefits of probiotics, such as the bifidus regularis in Activia.

In January, Scarsdale-based Italica Imports, which produces and distributes Spanish olive oil, unveiled the world's first extra-virgin olive oil enriched with omega-3 fatty acids, which are arguably the biggest food trend of 2007. Unsaturated fats that have been linked to better cognitive function and healthier joints and are considered heavy hitters in the fight against cardiovascular disease, omega-3 fatty acids are popping up in nearly every supermarket aisle.

But why add them to olive oil, which is already widely regarded as one of healthiest lipids around? Why shouldn't consumers turn to fish, which the American Heart Association recommends as a good source of omega-3?

"There are definitely alternative ways to go," said Italica President Lucy Landesman. "People want convenience, so what I'm trying to do is make it easy for them. You go to the olive oil section and you stand there and there are so many choices out there now you don't know what to buy. We put a big heart in the center of our label, so if you pick my product, you know it's good for you."

Flush from its success with Activia, Dannon in January began shipping its popular Danimals products with a new addition: lactobacillus GG, a culture scientifically researched in children and proven to boost gastrointestinal and immune function and support oral health. "Kids with growing bodies have different nutritional needs," Neuwirth said. Dannon also reformulated its products aimed at children to contain no artificial colors and 25 percent less sugar, something mothers asked for in a 2006 survey.

In January, Purchase-based PepsiCo Beverages North America's Aquafina unit welcomed a new product to its line, the No. 1 brand of bottled water in the United States. Aquafina Alive is enhanced with a "splash of fruit juice" and about 10 percent of the daily value of vitamins E, B6, B12, and niacin. Lynn Markley, vice president of health and wellness public relations for Pepsi, said consumers, perhaps spurred to action by the country's obesity problem, are looking for healthy attributes in all of their groceries. And people have different health needs and are increasingly looking for products that address their specific situation; hence the need for orange juice with added calcium or low-fat snack bars. Pepsi, which also produces Tropicana and Quaker products, marks products that may boost health with a "Smart Spot" to make it easier for consumers to identify healthy choices, Markley said.

"It is a huge growth platform for us," she said.

Mogelonsky said her research suggests the torrent of health claims bombarding consumers isn't likely to end anytime soon. So what's a harried, health-conscious shopper to do?

"I choose items based on three things: will my family like it, quality, and price per unit," said Beth Cowan, a Carmel mom who shops for her family of five. "Health claims on the packaging do not affect my choices. I try to stay up on what is healthful for us and am not easily influenced by marketing."

Cowan said she believes some health claims are misleading, listing "low in fat" and "sugar-free" among her pet peeves because often a reduction in fat means a boost in sugar and vice versa.

Christina DeGrazio, who lives with her mom in Valley Cottage, agreed, calling some health claims "gimmicks." As a health and physical education teacher, she said she definitely tries to find healthy alternatives in the supermarket, and she encourages her students, who seem increasingly interested in nutrition, to do the same.

She said some choices are easy, such as opting for whole-grain crackers and cereals and eating fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day. She shies away from sodium-rich pre-packaged meals but tends to purchase "heart healthy" products over alternatives that don't tout such benefits.

"If there were two extra-virgin olive oils, I would definitely choose the one with omega-3," she said. "I do care about that. But some of it can be confusing."

Marion Nestle, a New York University nutrition professor and author of "What to Eat," has a simple solution for cutting through the confusion. Believing all health claims are misleading and designed solely to boost sales, she calls on those who truly want to live healthy to spend their shopping trips trawling the perimeter of the supermarket. That's where the "real foods" - fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and breads - are. She also suggests consumers stick to items with no more than five ingredients or any ingredients they can't pronounce.

If all else fails, she has a surefire way to stay fit and live well: "Eat less, move more, eat fruits and vegetables, and don't eat too much junk food - pretty much takes care of anything anyone needs to know," she said.

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Selling Health at the Grocery Store

By Meredith Guiness
FOR THE JOURNAL NEWS
March 18, 2007

Say you saw a product in the supermarket that promised it would deposit a colony of bacteria in your colon. Would you buy it?

If it referred to the bacteria as a friendly "probiotic" that could boost digestive health, yes, it turns out, you would. Based on advertising and packaging that claimed eating Dannon's Activia yogurt every day for two weeks would "reduce long intestinal transit time," customers spent about $130 million on the product in 2006.

"It's been the single most successful product launch in the history of yogurt," said Michael Neuwirth, a spokesman for The Dannon Co. in White Plains. "Digestive regularity is a real issue in this country."

But, whereas your grandmother might have spooned up some castor oil and Mom might have added an ear of corn to the dinner menu, today's consumers are looking for health in a lot of unlikely places. From buttery spreads said to lower cholesterol to vitamin-laced waters that promise to "go Rottweiler on exhaustion," the local supermarket has become a garden of unearthly delights with even the most processed of foods claiming to be good for you in some way or another.

Research-based health claims have been attached to foods for years - who can forget the miracle of oat bran? But the trend kicked into overdrive in 2003 when the Food and Drug Administration relaxed guidelines on what a company can claim its products will do, said Marcia Mogelonsky, a senior analyst with Mintel International who has studied food claims and customer reaction. In the past, a strong, scientifically proven link had to exist between the product and the health benefit. The new standards allow for a much looser definition of proof, with some products having only inconclusive scientific evidence behind their claims.

Before July 2003, 14 specific health claims were made by the FDA, including the relationships between calcium and osteoporosis, sodium and hypertension, and dietary fat and cancer. After July 2003, the FDA added three levels of claims, which require the product to bear qualifying language that can be as vague as "very limited and preliminary scientific research suggests" the claim is true.

"You have to have some rudimentary evidence, but that's all," Mogelonsky said. "Some things that weren't allowed to have any labeling before now can have some. And people are always looking to eat as well as they can, so they pay attention."

Knowing that, food producers now actively hunt down any and all healthy aspects of their foods. For instance, many products now claim they're gluten-free or lactose-free, which sounds healthier, though most people have no problem digesting gluten or lactose, Mogelonsky said.

Other companies add things to their products to boost their benefits, as Dannon did when it discovered the scientifically proven benefits of probiotics, such as the bifidus regularis in Activia.

In January, Scarsdale-based Italica Imports, which produces and distributes Spanish olive oil, unveiled the world's first extra-virgin olive oil enriched with omega-3 fatty acids, which are arguably the biggest food trend of 2007. Unsaturated fats that have been linked to better cognitive function and healthier joints and are considered heavy hitters in the fight against cardiovascular disease, omega-3 fatty acids are popping up in nearly every supermarket aisle.

But why add them to olive oil, which is already widely regarded as one of healthiest lipids around? Why shouldn't consumers turn to fish, which the American Heart Association recommends as a good source of omega-3?

"There are definitely alternative ways to go," said Italica President Lucy Landesman. "People want convenience, so what I'm trying to do is make it easy for them. You go to the olive oil section and you stand there and there are so many choices out there now you don't know what to buy. We put a big heart in the center of our label, so if you pick my product, you know it's good for you."

Flush from its success with Activia, Dannon in January began shipping its popular Danimals products with a new addition: lactobacillus GG, a culture scientifically researched in children and proven to boost gastrointestinal and immune function and support oral health. "Kids with growing bodies have different nutritional needs," Neuwirth said. Dannon also reformulated its products aimed at children to contain no artificial colors and 25 percent less sugar, something mothers asked for in a 2006 survey.

In January, Purchase-based PepsiCo Beverages North America's Aquafina unit welcomed a new product to its line, the No. 1 brand of bottled water in the United States. Aquafina Alive is enhanced with a "splash of fruit juice" and about 10 percent of the daily value of vitamins E, B6, B12, and niacin. Lynn Markley, vice president of health and wellness public relations for Pepsi, said consumers, perhaps spurred to action by the country's obesity problem, are looking for healthy attributes in all of their groceries. And people have different health needs and are increasingly looking for products that address their specific situation; hence the need for orange juice with added calcium or low-fat snack bars. Pepsi, which also produces Tropicana and Quaker products, marks products that may boost health with a "Smart Spot" to make it easier for consumers to identify healthy choices, Markley said.

"It is a huge growth platform for us," she said.

Mogelonsky said her research suggests the torrent of health claims bombarding consumers isn't likely to end anytime soon. So what's a harried, health-conscious shopper to do?

"I choose items based on three things: will my family like it, quality, and price per unit," said Beth Cowan, a Carmel mom who shops for her family of five. "Health claims on the packaging do not affect my choices. I try to stay up on what is healthful for us and am not easily influenced by marketing."

Cowan said she believes some health claims are misleading, listing "low in fat" and "sugar-free" among her pet peeves because often a reduction in fat means a boost in sugar and vice versa.

Christina DeGrazio, who lives with her mom in Valley Cottage, agreed, calling some health claims "gimmicks." As a health and physical education teacher, she said she definitely tries to find healthy alternatives in the supermarket, and she encourages her students, who seem increasingly interested in nutrition, to do the same.

She said some choices are easy, such as opting for whole-grain crackers and cereals and eating fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day. She shies away from sodium-rich pre-packaged meals but tends to purchase "heart healthy" products over alternatives that don't tout such benefits.

"If there were two extra-virgin olive oils, I would definitely choose the one with omega-3," she said. "I do care about that. But some of it can be confusing."

Marion Nestle, a New York University nutrition professor and author of "What to Eat," has a simple solution for cutting through the confusion. Believing all health claims are misleading and designed solely to boost sales, she calls on those who truly want to live healthy to spend their shopping trips trawling the perimeter of the supermarket. That's where the "real foods" - fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and breads - are. She also suggests consumers stick to items with no more than five ingredients or any ingredients they can't pronounce.

If all else fails, she has a surefire way to stay fit and live well: "Eat less, move more, eat fruits and vegetables, and don't eat too much junk food - pretty much takes care of anything anyone needs to know," she said.

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