Major National Food Initiative Gets Support From Andrea Thomas, Wal-Mart and from First Lady Michelle Obama
Increasing Charitable Support For Nutrition Programs
Major New Initiative To Make Food Healthier & To Make Healthier Food More Affordable
Program Calls for Eliminating Trans Fats, Reducing Sugars & Sodium, & New Front-of-Package Seals with Info Needed to Make Healthy Food Choices www.walmartstores.com/healthierfoods
A major new initiative from one of the nations top retailers is designed to combat our national obesity crisis with a comprehensive food and nutrition program that promises to provide greater access to healthier, more affordable food choices.. The effort calls for reducing the consumption of nutrients that contribute to the epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases in America, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. The program hopes to reduce sodium by 25% in many grocery products, including grain, luncheon meats and frozen entrees; reduce added sugars by 10% in products such as yogurt, barbecue sauce and fruit drinks; and eliminate the use of all remaining industrially produced trans fats and hydrogenated oils in all food products. Walmart is working with suppliers to improve the nutritional quality of its food, offer customers savings on packaged foods and fresh produce. Key elements of the program include:
Making healthy food choices more affordable by eliminating the price premium on healthier packaged food and offering consumers the lowest price on fresh produce
Reformulating thousands of everyday packaged food items by reducing sodium by 25 percent, added sugars by 10 percent and removing all remaining industrially produced trans fats
Developing a front-of-package seal that can be adopted by national food manufacturers, providing consumers with the info needed to make healthier food choices
Creating greater access to healthier food by increasing healthier food options
Andrea Thomas, Sr. VP of Sustainability for Wal-Mart, Mrs. Obamas support for the program will provide roll-ins and tease purposes.
Andrea Thomas has been named Wal-Marts new senior vice president of Sustainability.
Matt Kistler, current SVP of Sustainability, will be transitioning into a new role as SVP of Marketing on the Walmart U.S. team. Thomas currently serves as SVP, Global Merchandising Center, for the Home, Hardlines and Entertainment businesses.
Thomas joined Wal-Mart in 2007 and, according to Leslie Dach, Wal-Marts executive vice president of Corporate Affairs, has been a committed driver of sustainability within the Walmart private label business.
In her last position, Thomas was heavily involved in supply chain, product development and brand marketing all of which are key elements of Wal-Marts sustainability push.
During the next several weeks Matt and Andrea will transition into their new roles, says Dach. For a time, Matt and Andreas tenures in sustainability will overlap.
Thomas has been involved in brand management and innovation for over 15 years. She had a brief stint as VP of Innovation at The Hershey Company before joining Wal-Mart. Prior to Hershey, she was at Frito Lay for 8 years her last position being VP of Innovation.
With Wal-Marts increasing push into sustainability and the green space, Thomas will have her hands full. Over the last three years, Kistlers team worked on Wal-Marts China Sustainability Summit, the launch of the Sustainability Index and Sustainability Consortium, and the companys greenhouse gas commitment earlier this year see Wal-Marts greenhouse gas protocol guidance to name just some initiatives.
