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KELLOGG CANADA HELPS CONSUMERS “GET THE FACTS” WITH A NEW FRONT-OF-PACK NUTRITION LABELLING TOOL

Research shows that time presses consumers want to streamline the shopping process and want clear, easily accessible nutrient information.

Kellogg’s is leading the way in a new front of package labelling system that allows the consumer to “Get the Facts” at a glance when the product is on the shelf. There is now a factual, at-a-glance banner on the top right-hand corner of the box called Get the Facts. Get the Facts takes the nutrient information from the Nutrition Facts table on the side of the box and highlights it on the front of the pack, showing consumers how a food fits into their daily diets. Get the Facts identifies the amount of calories, total fat, sodium, and sugar contained in the product. It also identifies 2 of the following 3 nutrients from which Canadian consumers can benefit by eating cereal – fibre, iron, thiamin. Get the Facts is also easy to read with a larger print.

Get the Facts is not a new recommendation or standard for health 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. Get the Facts is based on the Daily Values for a 2000 kcal diet, just like the Nutrition Facts table. Your daily values may be higher or lower, depending on your calorie needs. The percentage of the Daily Values helps illustrate how a serving of that food contributes to a 2000 kcal/day diet.

Kellogg’s is rolling out Get the Facts in US, Mexico and Canada. It has already pioneered a similar system in Europe and Australia, where the labelling approach has been well received by consumers and adopted by the industry.

In 2007 Kellogg’s changed what and how they were marketing to children under 12 using Nutrient criteria. The Nutrient Criteria set an upper threshold of less than or equal to 200kcal, less than or equal to 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than or equal to 230 mg of sodium and less than or equal to 12 grams of sugar per serving. If a product doesn’t meet these criteria, it will no longer be marketed to children. If the Get the Facts panel on the front of a product shows any nutrient above these criteria, they will not be marketed to children.

Get the Facts uses the same serving size listed on the Nutrition Facts table. Just compare this to the amount you eat. If you eat twice the serving size, you will get twice the calories and nutrients. If you are not sure how much you are eating, use a measuring cup and measure what you put into your bowl.

The Bottom Line:
Using the information on the Get the Facts table is another great way to evaluate the product you are purchasing, compare it to other similar products and adjust your food choices.