WASHINGTON (AP) — Wal-Mart, the nation's largest grocer, says it will reformulate thousands of products to make them healthier and push its suppliers to do the same, joining first lady Michelle Obama's effort to combat childhood obesity.
The first lady accompanied Wal-Mart
executives Thursday as they announced the effort in Washington. The company
plans to reduce sodium and added sugars in some items, build stores in poor
areas that don't already have grocery stores, reduce prices on produce and
develop a logo for healthier items.
"No family should have to choose
between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford," said
Bill Simon, president and CEO of Wal-Mart's U.S. division.
As the largest grocer in the United
States, Wal-Mart's size gives it unique power to shape what people eat. The
grocery business is nearly twice the size of No. 2 competitor Kroger. The
company also has massive influence on products made by other manufacturers and
sold at the store.
Mrs. Obama said the announcement has
"the potential to transform the marketplace and help Americans put
healthier foods on their tables every single day."
"We are really gaining some
momentum on this issue, we're beginning to see things move," she said.
The nation's largest retailer plans
to reduce sodium by a quarter and cut added sugars in some of its private label
products by 2015. It also plans to remove remaining industrially produced trans
fats. The foods Wal-Mart will concentrate on our products like lunch meats,
fruit juices and salad dressings, items that contain high levels of sugar or
sodium that consumers don't know they're ingesting..
During the press conference
Wednesday, Andrea Thomas, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of sustainability
acknowledged those industry efforts but said,"Our goal is not to supplant
these efforts, but to encourage their widespread adoption. We see our role as a
convener and a catalyst. "
Food makers say they are trying to
reduce sodium gradually, making it a more palatable change to its customers and
giving the industry time to reformulate products. Most said they support
efforts to curb sodium in American's diets but are waiting to see if the Food
and Drug Administration decides to mandate a reduction.
Wal-Mart said it would reduce prices
on fruits and vegetables by $1 billion a year by attempting to cut unnecessary
costs from the supply chain. The company also said it would work to reduce
price premiums on healthier items made with more expensive ingredients.
"Our customers often ask us why
whole wheat pasta sometimes costs more than regular pasta made by the same
manufacturer," said Thomas.
Mrs. Obama has a history of working
with Wal-Mart. She once served on the board of Westchester, Ill.-based
TreeHouse Foods Inc., a food supplier for the store, but resigned in 2007 while
her husband was campaigning for the presidency. Barack Obama had criticized the
store over wages and benefits it pays employees.
AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in
New York contributed to this report.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
(AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
