For Immediate Release: March 2, 2009 Contact: Eddie Owens, APR, Director of Corporate Communications
(office 806.788.4863; cell 806.928.0462)
Program for Health-Conscious Guests
LUBBOCK, Texas – To help recognize National Nutrition Month, United Supermarkets will launch its new Nutritional Tag program in 13 stores in March, including all nine of its existing Market Street stores. The company’s new Market Street location in Plano also will be added to the mix when it opens April 1.
The Nutritional Tags highlight foods meeting gluten-free, heart healthy/diabetes management, lean/low-fat, sugar-free/reduced sugar, and organic standards. The easy-to-understand labels, with corresponding letters and colors, are designed to conveniently lead store guests with special dietary needs to safe, healthy choices.
The company’s registered dietitians, Alicia Brown and Dr. Tyra Carter, have combed the stores’ grocery aisles to help distinguish a wide variety of healthier food selections from conventional foods. In addition to the Market Street stores, select United Supermarkets locations in Lubbock, Abilene, Amarillo and Graham also are taking part in the program.
“We have spent many hours during the past two years reading labels on all our food items so health-conscious guests can enjoy their shopping experience,” said Carter, corporate dietitian for United Supermarkets, LLC.
More than 4,500 items have received a nutritional tag, Carter added.“The nutritional tags serve as a friendly guide that allows guests to make informed food decisions to improve health, manage or prevent disease. Now when guests see one of our Nutritional Tags distinguishing a food item, they have peace-of-mind that a registered dietitian has approved the item for special dietary needs.”
Market Street and participating United stores will have signage positioned throughout the aisles to help guests become familiar with the new program. To receive a nutritional tag, food items must meet one of the following criteria:
Gluten-Free (blue label with letters “GF”): Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye barley and some oats, is harmful to those with celiac disease, multiple sclerosis and other immunological conditions. Foods that typically contain gluten – such as breads, pastas, crackers or cookies – are identified by this tag. The GF tag indicates that the food item contains no gluten and is manufactured in a dedicated gluten-free facility. Heart Healthy/Diabetes Management (pink/purple label with letters “HHDM”): This includes various food products with a single serving size that contains 3 grams or less of total fat; 0.5 grams or less of trans fat; 1 gram or less of saturated fat; 480 milligrams or less of sodium; 20 milligrams or less of cholesterol; and 3 grams or more of fiber. Lean/Low-Fat (orange label with letter “L”): Meat and dairy products that serve as great sources of protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals without the high fat content normally found in these items. These items consist of lean cuts of meat and dairy products that are lower in fat and sugar. Sugar-Free/Reduced Sugar (pink label with letter “S”): These products help manage diabetes and weight. Sugar-Free contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving while Reduced Sugar contains 25 percent less than the original product. Organic (green label with letter “O”): Products that have been deemed “organic” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The items were produced without using conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetic engineering and irradiation. The campaign surrounding the new Nutritional Tag program will run throughout the entire month of March, with participating stores highlighting a different tag each week. Guests seeking more information about the Nutritional Tag program can interact with company dietitians online (www.UnitedTexas.com) by submitting questions to be anonymously featured on the Health and Wellness page or answered individually by e-mail.
“The Nutritional Tag program is like shopping with a registered dietitian, helping you select better foods for you and your family,” said Alicia Brown, the company’s health and wellness marketing manager and a registered dietitian.
“We’ve tagged thousands of food items to give our guests a wide selection of nutritious items. Health-conscious guests will really appreciate the great steps we’ve taken to make shopping in our stores as easy as possible. Anyone with questions is encouraged to visit our site or send us an e-mail.”
Market Street is a unique market that combines shoppers’ everyday grocery needs with the specialty items, whole-health/gourmet products and pre-prepared foods they want. Stores participating in the Nutritional Tag program are located in Allen, Amarillo, Colleyville, Coppell-Lewisville, Frisco, Lubbock (2), McKinney and Wichita Falls.
The Nutritional Tag program also can be found at United Supermarkets locations in Abilene (S. 14th and Willis), Amarillo (45th and Bell), Graham and Lubbock (82nd and Frankford.
About United Supermarkets
Now in its 93rd year of operation, United Supermarkets, LLC, is a Texas-based, family-owned grocery chain with stores in 29 markets across north and west Texas. A self-distributing company with its headquarters and distribution center in Lubbock, United currently operates 49 stores under three distinct formats: United Supermarkets, Market Street and Amigos United.
