Certified healthy choice
The Choices International Foundation helps consumers to make a more health-conscious choice in their daily food parcel. It has introduced a simple front-of-pack stamp on food products that have passed an evaluation against a set of qualifying criteria based on international dietary guidelines. Zeelandia Netherlands acquired the use of this stamp for three different mixes. However the stamp will as yet be used for the Vikorn brand.
The Choices programme is a world-wide initiative set up to make the healthy choice the easy choice. An independent International Scientific Committee periodically reviews the qualifying criteria used for the Choices stamp. The committee independently applies the latest scientific research, thereby safeguarding the credibility and reliability of the criteria.
Qualifying Criteria
The qualifying criteria are used to evaluate food products based on their nutritional composition.
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The criteria are firmly grounded in four key principles. These are; • Based on sound, scientific evidence |
Some products are excluded from evaluation: alcoholic beverages, supplements, products for use under medical supervision and foods for children under the age of 1 year.
20 Countries are Participating
The Choices programme has been implemented in 20 countries, including France, the Czech Republic, Poland and the United States. More than 800 products carry the Choices stamp, and the number is growing rapidly. The stamp uses local languages to send the message of a healthy/easy choice. In the U.S., for example, the stamp says “Eat Smart”. The programme is being expanded to more countries. In all those countries, national governance structures seek the endorsement of local authorities, non-governmental organisations and civic society.