Mediterranean Diet Packaging Symbol Launched

In a boon for consumers following the Mediterranean Diet, Oldways , the organization behind the popular Whole Grains stamp, announced yesterday the launch of Med Mark - a brand new packaging symbol designed to help shoppers quickly identify healthy Mediterranean Diet food, drinks, and products. The postage-stamp-sized symbol features a dramatic image of an amphora, the pottery jug used for 3,000 years by all Mediterranean cultures to store and ship their foods and drinks.

According to the president of Oldways, Dun Gifford, the new wave of study results is starting to trickle into the public consciousness through extensive press attention, and people are starting to seek out products that meet Mediterranean diet criteria.

To qualify for the mark, the foods must form part of the Mediterranean diet pyramid (click here to view), and also set limits on the amount of processing a product undergoes, as well as its levels of trans fats, saturated fats, sodium and sugars.

"It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Mediterranean diet is a healthful way of eating, really.  It's what nutritionists dream of, and now we've figured out a way to get it to people," said Gifford.

"What's really important to keep in mind is that this is a diet pattern, it's not a single food but a variety of foods.  That's the key concept that people need to understand."

The first products featuring the symbol could appear as early as next month, and within a year Oldways expects to see the Med Mark on "thousands" of products.

Source: www.foodnavigator-usa.com