Consumer health
Ahold management trainee
program on sustainability
Consumer health a global concern
Ahold's approach
Moving towards an integrated approach
Making it easier for customers to eat healthy
foods
Ahold Sustainability Report 2004
The food industry worldwide and its main stakeholders
(manufacturers, retailers, government authorities,
scientists, and consumer organizations) agree that obesity
and overweight are growing problems across the globe.
There is a consensus that the solution to this problem
includes informing and advising people about the need
for physical activity and healthy diets. The industry and
its stakeholders agree that a multi-stakeholder,
cooperative approach to this problem must be taken.
There is not yet a global consensus on how to implement
changes. For example, differing opinions exist worldwide
on labeling, the use of consumer friendly icons visualizing
healthy products and requirements for making health
claims. Currently the issue of consumer health holds the
highest priority in our U.S. and northwestern European
companies.
As we see the focus on health and well-being to be a
major, sustained consumer trend, we want to be a leader
in this area, or even have a genuine impact on the
overweight/obesity issue going forward. We believe
promoting the health and well-being of our customers
falls within our responsibility as a food retailer and makes
commercial sense. Our proximity to customers (as
compared to manufacturers who remain one level
removed) gives us the opportunity to have a significant
influence. Therefore, our companies started to address
this issue in a focused way several years ago.
Ahold companies are full service food retailers, meaning
that they offer the complete range of products for a
healthy lifestyle. These include fruit, vegetable and
seafood products, which are key to a healthful diet as well
as whole grains and low fat dairy products, also
emphasized by dietary guidelines.
In 2003 and 2004, a group of 21 Ahold
management trainees from different European
countries participated in a trainee program on
Corporate Social Responsibility. The aim was to
involve our future senior managers and to make
sustainability part of their mindset. During the
project the trainees developed a selection model
for CSR business cases. They chose health as the
most urgent issue for the food retail business.
As a result of this program, a number of projects have
been developed, including a "5-A-Day" project for
Ahold Slovakia.
Most of our companies now have mission and vision state
ments on health and well-being and are well-positioned
individually to contribute to and capitalize on developments
in this area. Ahold's ambition is to offer its customers
scientifically solid and socially sound products. To this end
we cooperate with universities like Harvard and Wageningen
University and organizations like the "Voedingscentrum"
in the Netherlands and Nordic Nutrition Board (ICA).
At this time, we are trying to go even deeper into the
issue and moving towards a better-coordinated approach.
It is the ambition of Ahold's arenas to work together on
corporate brand development and other ways to address
customer needs in this area. An integrated approach is
required to effectively turn this into a competitive
advantage, thus making our approach truly sustainable.
For example, Stop Shop and Giant-Landover together
established a Health Wellness manager's position in
July 2003 and formed a multi-discipline, executive-level
wellness committee to develop business strategies and
tactics. You can read more about our approach in the
section "Global meeting on sustainability issues regarding
products" in the chapter "How we manage sustainability."
Our operating companies have promoted consumer health
over the last decades by offering a variety of science-
based information and education and developing health
icons on products. Through the introduction of innovative
healthy products, such as convenient, ready-to-eat salads,
fruits and meals, our companies help consumers to eat a
more nutritious diet. In some cases, we also remove
unhealthy substances from conventional products, for
instance, the removal of transfat, sugar or salt content in
private label products, which is done at Albert Heijn, ICA
and Ahold Central Europe.
In 2004 and continuing in 2005, Albert Heijn has been
reviewing all information on the labels of its private label
products with regards to allergens, calories, transfats.
Where relevant and where packaging allows, a gender
calorie table and health related standard icons for gluten-
free or milk-free products are included in order to help
consumers make healthier choices.
ICA's private label program is focused on making it easier
for the customer to find a healthier alternative in each
category. As part of this objective, ICA will launch a healthy
private label range, introducing the first 50 products in
2005. The launch will be supported by an extensive
marketing campaign.
In the mid-1980s, health care personnel and ICA's
customers wanted to be able to find an easy guide to the
healthiest choice in different categories in the stores.
