Healthy Food Choices

• As consumers, you want foods which are good for your health. That’s what you tell us at @StraussGroup. #healthyfoods

As consumers, you want foods which are good for your health. High salt levels, high saturated fats, artificial food colorings and high sugar content contribute to health problems, including weight control issues such as obesity. According to the World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has doubled since 1980 and affects more than 1.4 million adults and more than 40 million children under the age of five were obese in 2011. As a food industry we have taken note, and for some years now, we have been reducing unproductive and unhealthy calorie content, and this includes the majority of food products in the Strauss Group range. However, the challenge is two-fold. We need to satisfy your need for good-tasting foods, which often rely on sugars, fats and salt, and we need to educate consumers to change their eating habits. We aim to be proactive in this area and drive change through the products we develop, right from the early concept stages.

Actually, you want foods which will help improve your health. Those of you who are more health-conscious, or have tendencies to chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other health conditions such as allergies and sensitivities to certain foods, are interested in foods that make a positive contribution to your health. Science and technology has advanced in recent years to the point where new ingredients such as probiotics (which encourage the development of bacteria in our digestive systems which have a positive effect on health) and certain plant-extracts have been scientifically proven to improve health. It’s no coincidence that close to 80% of Americans, for example, takes food supplements. We believe that a healthy balanced diet can be achieved in most cases through foods, including fortified foods, which provide our daily needs without additional supplements.

In addition, you want us to help you develop better food habits. Beyond the content of food, the quantities we consume are often in excess of what we reasonably should. It is so hard to resist that extra chocolate wafer, another piece of that delicious cake, one more terribly tempting chocolate praline. Before we know it, we have finished the entire pack. You expect us to help you by creating portions which enable you measure your consumption more easily. Portion-control, packing in smaller portions or measured portions, enable you to be more conscious of your food intake. This is relevant for all our products, including our range of confectionery and chocolate, where, here as well, we are doing what we can to ensure a health-conscious approach and improved nutritional profiles.

Improving nutritional alternatives for consumers

In Israel, for example, where we have the largest variety of food products, Strauss Israel has undertaken a major review of all its food products during the past two years, and made a series of improvements which offer consumers, in most cases, the healthiest alternative available in each category. The actions we have taken include:

• enriched dairy products with vitamins, minerals and calcium.
• reduced sugar in dairy products, and reduced salt and saturated fats in snacks and salads.
• reduced calories in many products and developed a new range of under-100-calorie products  such as low-calorie chocolate bars and snacks.
• avoided use of harmful saturated fats and artificial food colors.
• expanded our range of healthy fresh products such as baby carrot snacks.

Functional foods as part of a healthy lifestyle

One of the most interesting developments in food technology in recent years is the functional foods category.  Functional foods contain ingredients that may help reduce risk for certain health conditions or promote better health. These compounds can occur naturally in the functional foods or they can be added in the manufacturing process. The concept of functional foods has been developing since the 1980’s, responding to consumer desire to both eat food and improve their health at the same time.

Strauss Israel is the leader in the dairy category for foods which provide additional health benefits. Among our range, we offer Actimel (a yogurt drink containing probiotic strains for digestive health), Activia (a probiotic yoghurt which helps positive digestion) and, in 2012, we launched Danacol (a yogurt drink with plant extracts which support reduced cholesterol levels) to you, our Israeli consumers.

• We introduced Actimel in 1998, Activia in 2005, and Danacol in 2012 to Israeli consumers for better health @StraussGroup

One of the challenges that food companies face is to market these foods responsibly, and in accordance with tight regulations that require that product health claims are accurate. This is to ensure consumers understand the role of these foods, which is to provide a complementary element of a healthy lifestyle, not a food with medicinal properties to cure or protect from illness.

• Danacol was introduced by Danone Group in 2004 in Europe, and is available today in over 15 countries around the world @StraussGRoup #Danone

Danacol was introduced by Danone Group in 2004 in Europe, and is available today in over 15 countries around the world. It is a low- fat milk drink enriched with phytosterols which have the unique, clinically proven ability to lower LDL cholesterol. Phytosterols are substances that occur naturally in small amounts in many grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds which work to inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines and lower the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Clinical data proving the efficacy of phytosterols in reducing cholesterol levels has been endorsed by global leading organizations such as EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), the FDA (the US Food and Drug Administration) and the American NCEP (National Cholesterol Education Program). One Danacol portion of 100ml contains 1.6 grams of phytosterols which is equivalent to, for example, 200 carrots, 84 bananas or 34 kilograms of tomatoes.

In Israel, about 40% of the population suffers from high LDL cholesterol levels. Among these, according to a survey conducted among Israeli consumers in 2012, only 50% are treated with medication. Many prefer to control cholesterol levels through diet and exercise, especially if the condition is borderline level not requiring treatment, or there is a fear of side effects from medication. The main benefits of Danacol are to be gained by the high-cholesterol sufferers who do not take medication.

Our challenge has been that consumers are skeptical and find it hard to believe that a food product can have such pronounced health benefits. Driven by responsibility, we want to change these perceptions so that consumers who stand to benefit from this product can make more informed choices. We have been working with the health sector in Israel to raise awareness and educate those who represent a trusted voice in the healthcare sector. By working with independently-minded, professional healthcare practitioners, in line with the highest ethical standards, we can make them aware of Danacol as an additional option for better cholesterol health. During 2012, our Strauss-Danacol team participated in nine conferences reaching about 1,000 physicians and 1,800 dieticians to provide reliable, scientific information.

The right portion of chocolate  

• Combine health and indulgence by applying portion control @StraussGroup #chocolate

One of the ways in which you, our adult consumers, can combine health and indulgence is by applying portion control. Following a suggestion from our consumers in Israel to create a product comprised of single-portion chocolate finger-shaped bars, which we had designed for children, we rose to the challenge.  Chocolate Fingers for adults were launched in 2012 and feature six chocolate bars each containing 65 calories. Calorie information is clearly marked on the pack so that you can see exactly what you are getting. It’s just enough to satisfy your need for something sweet as part of a healthily planned diet.