BRIEFLY IN BUSINESS

Store introduces color codes

Albertsons has launched a new color-coded shelf nutrition tagging system that helps consumers identify healthy food ingredients by glancing at shelf labels, the company announced last week.

The system will be available at all company stores throughout Southern California and Las Vegas, including locations in Glendale and Burbank.

The program, called “nutrition IQ,” is meant to improve shopper awareness about healthy eating habits and was implemented with the help of the Joslin Clinic, part of a medical center affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

The colored tags offer insight to consumers about the health benefits of products, placing shelf labels near products if they are good sources of fiber, calcium or protein, or if they are low in sodium, calories or saturated fat, according to a press release.

“It makes it so much easier for people to shop if they’re looking for low sodium or high fiber,” said Monica Hill, assistant store director at the Albertsons at 100 S. Central Ave. in Glendale.

Some products, like sodas, candies and cookies, were not given tags, even though they may have some beneficial properties, because they did not meet the program’s base criteria for limits of sodium, saturated fat, sugar or significant nutritional value.