3663’s healthier eating campaign ‘Positive Steps’ is an ongoing initiative aimed at driving the healthier eating message and meeting changing consumer demands for healthier options.

Between 2004 and 2005, 3663 undertook a salt reduction programme across the Smart Choice own brand range of products. This then extended to a wider strategy targeting fat and salt, as well as additional salt. These products formed the Positive Steps range, in addition to fresh lean meat and poultry and produce.

In light of new legislation 3663 has had to review its Positive Steps campaign.

Essentially new legislation states that reduced claims cannot be made unless there is a specific reduction against a standard product.

The new Positive Steps approach has set a clear nutritional profile that all products in the range must meet. A positive steps product is therefore now defined as:

• Fat Free (<0.5% fat), low fat (<3% fat) or reduced fat (at least 30% less fat than the appropriate benchmark)

And Either

• Sugar free (<0.5% sugar), low sugar (<5% sugar) or reduced sugar (at least 30% less sugar then the same benchmark)

Or

• Sodium free (<5mg/100g), low sodium (<120mg/100g) or reduced sodium (at least 25% less sodium than the same benchmark)

The third nutrient (sodium or sugar not meeting the above criteria) should also be below the upper level defined for an amber traffic light as below:

• Added sugar must be less than 12.5g per 100g
• Sodium must be less than 591mg per 100g

Own Brand Positive Steps Reformulation Programme
In line with this change in legislation 3663 Own Brand have put together a plan to reformulate products according to customer sector needs.