Ellsworth commissary labels nutrition

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Randahl J. Jenson
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

The commissary participated in a Defense Commissary Agency-wide Nutrition Guide Program by labeling certain foods throughout the store Jan. 2 to 5, 2017.

The program, designed to help customers spot healthy products faster, marks products that are low sodium, no-added sugar, high fiber, whole grain and organic with color-coded shelf tags.  

“It makes sense,” said Nancy Mitchell, the Ellsworth AFB commissary director. “Organic foods are located throughout the store, so these labels make them easier to find.”

The program catch phrase summarizes their objective: “Dietitian Approved! We Did the Work for You!”

“Military service is all about readiness and resilience, and the foods we eat play a big role in that,” said Defense Commissary Agency Director and CEO Joseph H. Jeu. “By highlighting the products with key nutrient attributes our commissary patrons look for, our nutrition guide program makes shopping much more convenient and effective to help service members and their families meet their health and wellness needs.”

The NGP is based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture criteria and standards, which are widely recognized and trusted, according to Deborah Harris, the DeCA dietitian. All NGP shelf labels for manufactured products are based on the food manufacturer’s product labeling, including the nutrition facts panel and ingredients list.

High nutrition quality and high performance foods that align with the DoD’s “Go for Green” program are also labeled with a “thumbs up”.

There are more than 600 of these “thumbs up” products in the commissary – 600 choices for those with New Year’s resolutions.

“Look for the ‘thumbs up,’” Mitchell said. “Then, build your basket.”

For more detailed information about the program, visit https://commissaries.com/healthy-living/nutrition-guide.cfm.

Information from a Defense Commissary Agency news release was used in this article.