Falmouth, Maine – A gold-star rating system aimed at helping food shoppers make healthier choices seems to have some influence – meaning more Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran and Honey Nut Clusters in shopping carts.
Hannaford Bros., a New England supermarket chain, said sales of items that earned at least one out of three stars outpaced similar products that got no stars. The difference was greatest among packaged foods, including cereal, canned goods, bakery items and snack foods. Hannaford said sales of products that received stars grew 2 1/2 times faster than similar items deemed less healthy.
The system is based on a formula that Hannaford wants to patent. In general, vitamins, minerals, fiber and whole grains earn more stars. Added sodium, trans fats, saturated fats and cholesterol mean fewer, or no, stars.
“I love it. I absolutely do,” Donna Lewis said Wednesday after pushing her cart through the checkout line with her 5-year-old son.
Lewis uses the star system to teach her children, including two other boys, about good nutrition. The star system makes nutrition simple, she said. Children easily understand it.
