Walmart reformulate products in healthy food push

Walmart to cut sodium, reformulate products in healthy food push

Walmart announced Thursday it will work with suppliers to reformulate thousands of packaged food items by 2015, pledging to reduce sodium by 25 percent as one of its key goals.

The nation’s largest grocer unveiled the initiative, aimed at offering healthier and more affordable food products, at a Washington, D.C., event that was attended by First Lady Michelle Obama.

Walmart said it will reformulate key product categories of its Great Value private brand and collaborate with suppliers to reformulate national brands within the same categories by 2015. The reformulation initiative includes three components:

Reduce sodium by 25 percent in a broad range of grocery items, including grain products, luncheon meats, salad dressings and frozen entrees.


Reduce added sugars by 10 percent in dairy items, sauces and fruit drinks.


Remove all remaining industrially produced trans fats (partially hydrogenated fats and oils) in all packaged food products.


“As its suppliers make choices on reformulating their products beyond the Walmart supply chain, the company expects millions of Americans to benefit whether they shop at Walmart or not,” the company said in a news release.


The retailer said it will “dramatically reduce or eliminate” the price premium on products made with reduced sodium, sugar or fat and pledged to save customers about $1 billion a year on fresh fruit and vegetables through sourcing, pricing, transportation and logistics initiatives designed to drive costs out of the supply chain.

One initiative, for example, will establish more direct relationships with farmers to source fresh produce.

The company said it would develop a new front-of-package seal to help consumers identify the healthier food options, adding the seal to its private branded food products that qualify later this year and offering it to its suppliers for their national brands that meet the criteria.

It also pledged to build more stores in underserved communities that are in need of affordable groceries

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