The Choices Programme
The Choices Programme is a unique multi-stakeholder initiative designed to help consumers to easily select healthy food options and to help the industry to improve their products. It was introduced in The Netherlands in 2006 as a response to the World Health Organization’s call for the food industry to take an active role in helping to tackle the growing problem of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) around the world. In the last 5 years Choices works more and more in Asia and Africa and broadened the scope of the programme to include undernourishment and stunting on a national level.
The programme and the Choices way of working are based on 10 basic principles that describe the Choices identity. You can download the complete description here. In short:
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6. Positive approach |
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7. Simplicity |
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8. Consumer communication |
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9. Voluntary |
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10. International coherence |
To identify the healthiest option in each food category, the programme consists of a nutrient profile model with product group-specific criteria. They take into account a product’s level of saturated and trans fatty acids, added sugar, salt and dietary fibre. The criteria - based on international dietary guidelines - are established and periodically reviewed by the independent International Scientific Committee.
The Choices Programme focuses on three points of action to promote healthy choices:
- Implement front-of-pack labelling: facilitate the use of the Choices logo or comparable positive front-of-pack labels to help consumers identify the healthy choice at a glance.
- Stimulate (re)formulation of products and portfolios: improvements by individual companies with or without logo use.
- Contribute to consumer education about how to constitute a healthy diet, in collaboration with national nutrition education bodies
Choices International Foundation facilitates national implementation of healthy choice initiatives by offering several implementation tools accompanied by extensive consultation.