Home » Guiding Stars Celebrates 10 Years As North America’s Leading Nutrition Guidance Program

Guiding Stars Celebrates 10 Years As North America’s Leading Nutrition Guidance Program

Guiding Stars 10th anniversary logo

Last updated on April 1st, 2016 at 09:50 am

Guiding Stars is celebrating its 10th year as North America’s leading nutrition guidance program.

Better nutritional choices can help people live longer, more productive lives, but it can be a challenge for shoppers to pick the right products. Launched in 2006, Guiding Stars partnered with scientific advisors to develop a food rating system based on a patented, published algorithm that objectively rates foods for nutritional value, assigning one star for good, two for better and three for the best nutritional value. Guiding Stars is available at major grocery chains and foodservice facilities at thousands of locations across the U.S. and Canada, as well as online.

“One of the keys to the long-term success of the Guiding Stars program is that it is very simple to understand,” said Jim McBride, director of Guiding Stars Licensing Co. “As customers make their way down the aisle of a supermarket, think about choices in a cafeteria or plan homemade meals, Guiding Stars serves as a visual reminder to take good nutrition into account. Most importantly, it really works. Independent studies have shown that Guiding Stars definitely affects consumer behavior, prompting people to choose the most nutritious foods. As organizations across the country celebrate National Nutrition Month, we’re proud of Guiding Stars’ contribution to the nutrition landscape over the past 10 years and look forward to continuing our work to help consumers make smarter food choices every day.”

The Guiding Stars algorithm and ratings criteria are publicly available to maximize transparency and build trust with consumers, stores and manufacturers. The program uses the information from the Nutrition Facts Panel and ingredients lists that appear on food products—information that consumers typically find hard to read and confusing. By using an algorithm to create a score based on the assignment of credits and debits, Guiding Stars makes it clear which foods provide the best nutrition, making it simple for anyone to choose nutritious foods—from children to seniors.

“Over the past 10 years, Guiding Stars has remained committed to the program’s original mission, which is providing clear nutritional information to help shoppers make better choices,” said Julie Greene, healthy living manager at Hannaford Supermarkets. “But the program has also evolved, adjusting the rating system and patented algorithm in response to changing dietary guidelines as the science of nutrition has matured. Guiding Stars has also added more information to help consumers live better, such as recipes and in-depth health and nutrition information at the Guiding Stars website. Guiding Stars was a revolutionary idea that has stood the test of time. Sound science, committed public health experts, transparency: these are all qualities of the Guiding Stars program that make it a hallmark public health success.”

With major partners like Food Lion, Hannaford, Homeland, Loblaws and Marsh, and more than 100,000 foods rated in a searchable database, Guiding Stars is changing the way people eat, one healthy meal at a time. The program also is helping to create momentum for food manufacturers to alter their recipes; during the company’s 10-year tenure, the percentage of foods that earn a star grew to approximately 35 percent, including a dramatic 17 to 35 percent growth in ratings among private label products, many of which now include more nutritious choices with low-sodium and reduced fat options.

Featured Photos

Featured Photo PLMA Annual Private Label Trade Show
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
Chicago, Illinois
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