Asda's Health Policy ensures that all our own label products meet strict standards of nutrition and quality.
Nutrition standards
We set limits on the amount of calories, sugar, fat, saturated fat and salt that our products can contain - and that includes products in all the Asda ranges, from Smart Price to Extra Special.
Our kids' range, Great Stuff, has even stricter limits for nutrition and additives.
Additives
In 2007 we took the lead to remove and ban from all our own label products:
- Hydrogenated fat
- Artificial colours
- Artificial flavours
- Flavour enhancers, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Sodium benzoate (a preservative often used in soft drinks) was removed by the end of 2009.
Improving our products
The Food Standards Agency set targets for the amount of salt in food sold in supermarkets, which we achieved two years ahead of the 2010 deadline, by removing over 250 tonnes of salt from our own label products. We continue to remove and reduce salt to help our customers improve the quality of their diet.
We are constantly working to improve our products in terms of quality, taste and nutrition. By updating recipes and using different cooking methods, we can make our products healthier, without compromising on taste. In 2008, we removed 280 tonnes of fat, 284 tonnes of saturated fat, 521 tonnes of sugar & another 83 tonnes of salt.
Traffic light labelling
In 2007, we were the first big supermarket to launch a dual labelling system which combines the benefits of ‘traffic lights' with guideline daily amounts (GDAs).
Praised by the Food Standards Agency as the easiest of the systems used by different supermarkets, our system is designed to be read and understood in less than two seconds, making it easier for our customers to choose healthier foods at a glance.
Using traffic light colours to highlight low, medium and high levels of sugar, fat, salt, saturated fats and calories in each product, the panel also gives the precise amount of each nutrient in grams per serving and the percentage of your GDA this represents.
Developed through extensive consumer research, our system provides customers with the most detailed, easy-to-understand information available in the retail market today.