Kroger touts milk to cut cholesterol

Kroger Co., the nation’s largest traditional grocery company and operator of the Ralphs chain in Southern California, is marketing a new milk brand for its cholesterol-reducing potential.

The product, under Kroger’s Active Lifestyle brand, is billed as the first national launch of a cholesterol-cutting milk. It adds to Kroger’s expanding lines for consumers of health-conscious and natural or organic foods and the in-house brands that the company sees as an important part of its profit strategy.

The milk uses an ingredient with plant sterols, found naturally in some vegetables, fruits, nuts and other foods. The Food and Drug Administration has said plant sterols may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels when used in recommended amounts as part of a healthy diet.