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Supermarkets At Center Of Food As Medicine According To New Study
Supermarkets and food companies have registered dietitians in strategic leadership roles and adding registered nurses, nurse practitioners, medical doctors, and health coaches to drive their health and well-being initiatives and to fuel their commitment to "Food as Medicine".
FMI – The Food Industry Association released the findings from its latest survey report, "Food Industry Contributions to Health and Well-Being 2024" late last week underscoring the food industry's focus to empower consumers to eat healthier and to offer programs to aid their journey. The FMI Survey, which represented more than 11,000 stores represented by 36 companies, found that 84% of responding food retailers are operating with nutrition and health & well-being strategies. This is the first report from FMI which has collected findings from both food retailers and consumer packaged goods brands and will serve as a benchmark on health and wellness for the food industry.
FMI's Food as Medicine Initiative Programs being utilized by supermarkets and brands
FMI- The Food Industry AssociationThe FMI report states that "Food as Medicine" programs that connect food and nutrition services to improve health are gaining momentum nationwide, and the food industry has always played an important role in both food security and nutrition security. Many of these "Food as Medicine" efforts, particularly when implemented in the community grocery store and supported by registered dietitians' leadership, are proven successful in changing behavior and improving health. In February 2021 the FMI Board adopted and announced its commitment and policy on Food as Medicine. The report found that 59% of those surveyed ranked the prevention and promotion of health and well-being as the number one focus area for both employees and customers.
Supermarkets lead the "Food as Medicine" initiative
Supermarkets are increasingly recognizing their pivotal role in public health and are making concerted efforts to lead the "Food as Medicine" movement. This initiative seeks to leverage the power of wholesome, nutritious foods to prevent, manage, and even reverse certain health conditions, thereby reducing reliance on conventional medications. By doing so, supermarkets are transforming from mere food retailers into wellness hubs that offer comprehensive health and nutrition solutions to their customers.
At the forefront of this effort is the integration of dietitian-led services within the supermarket setting. Registered dietitians are employed to provide personalized nutrition counseling, conduct store tours that highlight healthy choices, and organize workshops that teach customers how to read labels, understand nutritional information, and make healthier food selections. This educational approach empowers consumers to make informed decisions about their diets and lifestyle.
Supermarkets are expanding their health & wellness teams to include registered nurses and medical ... [+] doctor to meet the needs of their "Food as Medicine" initiatives
FMI - The Food Industry AssociationAnother significant aspect of this movement is the collaboration with healthcare providers. Some supermarkets are partnering with local clinics and hospitals to develop food prescription programs. These programs allow doctors to prescribe healthy foods to patients with specific health conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, with the supermarket offering discounts or vouchers for these prescribed foods. This not only makes healthy food more accessible but also reinforces the connection between diet and health.
There is little doubt that supermarkets are (and should be) at the vanguard of the "Food as Medicine" movement, as they employ a multifaceted approach that includes education, product curation, healthcare partnerships, and digital innovation.
Krystal Register, MS, RDN, LDN is FMI's Senior Director of Health and Well-being
FMI- The Food Industry AssociationKrystal Register, MS, RDN, LDN, FMI's Senior Director of Health and Well-being, who led the study, said that "Healthy eating has clearly become a priority for shoppers, and the grocery store continues to evolve as an accessible, community-based destination for health and well-being". Over the past decade, many supermarkets have hired retail dietitians, offered in-store and on-line nutrition classes, offered health screenings better-for-you recipes, added nutrition rating systems with on-shelf signage to help their shoppers navigate what at times has been a confusing landscape. Sixty-five percent reported offering incentives to encourage the purchase of better-for-you foods though coupons, vouchers, rebates and discounts.
Supermarkets are providing a plethora of health & wenness services to their shoppers
FMI - The Food Industry AssociationMs. Register, during the media briefing, highlighted that a significant effort is underway with 78% of supermarket retailers and brands reformulating their products to provide healthier options; with over half planning on reducing sodium and reducing added sugars, on cereals, breads, baked goods and frozen foods as well as across supermarkets' own brands portfolios. Another priority for 45% of those companies surveyed said adding 'beneficial' ingredients to their products is part of their reformulation plan. One in four companies also cited adjusting portion sizes which could be an attempt to curb inflationary prices, or meet the consumer need for portion control especially in light of the growing population now taking GLP-1 weight loss medications.
Dietitians Get A Seat At The Table
Registered dietitians now 'have a seat at the leadership table' she added, with 71% of those employed at grocers or brands operating at the corporate level playing key roles in overall strategy, marketing, communication, regulatory and legislative issues, food safety, e-commerce, and digital merchandising. The survey found that of those surveyed, 82% employ registered dietitians. As one of the few scientific based professionals at supermarkets during the COVID pandemic, these dietitians stepped in to elevate the knowledge and importance of health and well-being throughout their organizations as they sought to better understand how to satisfy their shoppers' needs. In turn, highlighting their value across their companies, which helped to create a strong foundation to build on retailers' health and wellness initiatives. In fact, the survey finds that 46% of company presidents, CEOs and marketing leadership are driving health & well-being initiatives.
Family Meals A Priority
The FMI Foundation's Family Meals initiative, founded in 2015, focuses on the importance of families eating together to improve family connectiveness, communication and as a result families who eat together have better diets in general and eat more fruits and vegetables. The FMI survey found that 75% of food industry companies are actively promoting communal eating such as family meals and that 90% include nutritional messaging in their communal eating promotions. Fifty-six percent of the food industry respondents said that their companies employ a chef or culinary professional at the corporate level and that 79% of those said working with registered dietitians they develop recipes based on health and well-being criteria. In-store, 43% said they developed meal solutions based on health and well-being criteria by being involved with registered dietitians.
Social Media's Impact on Health & Wellness
To communicate nutrition, health and well-being information, the food industry's number one customer outreach by 100% of those surveyed reported to be through social media, with 33% reporting the channel as being very effective. Not surprisingly, the most effective vehicle by 64%, among those using the channel, was through store pharmacists, underscoring the importance of health, nutrition and well-being being a store-wide initiative. Old school marketers will delight to learn that the second highest rated in being very effective was the store's weekly circular, reinforcing the need for retailers (and brands) to include their health messaging both in print and on digital circulars to reach all generations of shoppers. The FMI report also finds that the best way to combat health trends that shoppers are exposed to is that 52% are providing evidence-based nutrition messaging, that FMI highlights as an industry opportunity.
As "Food as Medicine" programs continue to gain attention from retailers, brands and shoppers, this FMI 2024 Report on Food Industry Contributions to Health and Well-Being provides valuable tools and insights for the food world to effectively communicate better-for-you messaging to consumers and help change the foods and beverages that Americans consume. By doing so, they are redefining supermarkets role in society, contributing to a healthier population, and addressing some of the root causes of chronic diseases through the power of nutrition.
Alloy Personal Training To Offer Small Group Training In The Vintage Area
Owned by Michael and Manal Shehadeh, Alloy Personal Training will be opening soon in The Vintage area.The personal training studio will offer small group training that Michael Shehadeh said will have the efficacy of a one-on-one training session at half the cost. He noted Alloy Personal Training programs are tested in real facilities and created by degreed exercise physiologists, doctors of physical therapy, registered dietitians and other behavioral specialists.
By Hannah BrolEditor
Hannah joined Community Impact as a reporter in May 2016 and is the editor of the Spring-Klein and Lake Houston-Humble-Kingwood editions. She previously covered city government, education and business news as a reporter for The Woodlands edition prior to becoming an editor in 2019. A lifelong Houstonian, Hannah attended Cy-Fair ISD schools and graduated from Sam Houston State University in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in multiplatform journalism.
Retailers, Suppliers Invest In Nutrition Strategies: FMI Report
Grocery retailers and their suppliers are increasingly embracing strategies around nutrition and the concept of "food as medicine," according to a new report from FMI—the Food Industry Association.
FMI's newly released Food Industry Contributions to Health and Well-Being 2024 report found that 70% of member companies that responded to its survey currently have established nutrition, health, and well-being strategies, and about a third have set measurable targets and goals for these programs. For the first time, the report surveyed both food retailers and their suppliers.
"Healthy eating has clearly become a priority for shoppers, and the grocery store continues to evolve as an accessible, community-based destination for health and well-being," said Krystal Register, senior director for health and well-being, FMI. "This report illustrates that companies across the food industry are committed throughout their entire organizations to offer products and services to help families make positive food purchasing decisions and support them on their health and well-being journeys."
Among companies responding to FMI's survey:
The report found that companies cited "competing priorities" as by far the biggest challenge they face in implementing nutrition, health, and well-being programs, reported by 62% of respondents, outpacing "proving return on investment" at 17%.
Bigger role for dietitians
The report also found that registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) are playing larger roles in companies' health and well-being strategies. Eighty-two percent of food retailers and suppliers said they employ dietitians throughout their organizations, and 71% have dietitians in place at the corporate level. These corporate-level dietitians are involved in strategic leadership, regulatory affairs, labeling, ecommerce, marketing, and communications initiatives. Nearly a fifth of companies surveyed employ registered dietitians in their retail locations, serving both customers and employees.
In addition, food retailers are also employing more doctors and nurses, the survey found. More than a third (36%) of food retailers employ registered nurses, up from 20% in 2021; 14% employ nurse practitioners, up from 8% in 2021; and 14% employ medical doctors, up from 4% in 2021.
These changes in staffing come as "food as medicine" programs, which connect nutrition to improved health outcomes, are also gaining momentum. Companies are implementing in-store programs designed to help reduce diet-related disease and support health goals for shoppers, according to the report. These include path-to-purchase marketing, incentive programs, and personalized nutrition education solutions that work synergistically with prescription programs and medically tailored nutrition.
Food companies are also increasingly offering nutrition counseling and well-being and weight-management classes for employees, according to the report:
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