Program to Help Employees Easily Identify Nutritious Food Choices
It’s often difficult to take time during the workday to fit in nutritious food choices. To make healthy eating easier for employees, IDEXX Laboratories, of Westbrook, Maine, partnered with Guiding Stars, the world’s first nutrition guidance program, to offer Guiding Stars in the company’s corporate cafeteria.
With the help of Guiding Stars, many prepared meals and grab-and-go items served in the cafeteria will receive a zero-to-three star rating according to its nutritional value, offering diners a simple, at-a-glance tool that quickly identifies the most nutritious foods.
“We know how important healthy eating is to overall wellness, said Kim Cassella, cafeteria services manager at IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. “With the Guiding Stars simple-to-follow star-rating system, our employees will be able to choose foods that provide them with the most nutrition and support a healthy lifestyle.”
Guiding Stars utilizes a proprietary algorithm that is grounded in evidence-based science and the most current guidelines and recommendations of leading national and international health organizations, such as the FDA and USDA. The system credits all edible foods based on the presence of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and whole grains, and debits for the presence of trans fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, added sugars and added sodium. Food items are then awarded zero, one, two or three stars – one star means good nutritional value; two stars, better nutritional value; and three stars, the best nutritional value.
“We are pleased to partner with IDEXX Laboratories as healthy eating habits can lead to reduced stress, better moods and better productivity in the workplace,” said Jim McBride, director of operations at Guiding Stars Licensing Company. “This partnership will help IDEXX employees navigate the cafeteria, and give them the resources they need to take charge of a healthier lifestyle.”
The Guiding Stars system was the first of its kind in September 2006 when implemented in select grocery stores as a response to consumer demand for a simple, easy-to-understand tool for making good nutritional choices as they shop. The Guiding Stars program is now on shelf tags and signage in grocery stores throughout the Northeast, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Florida, and also has launched in public schools and universities in addition to its online tool, Food Finder.
About Guiding Stars Licensing Co.
Since 2006, Guiding Stars has been leading the way in helping consumers make nutritious food choices. The Guiding Stars nutrition guidance program is a simple, easy-to-understand tool for making good nutrition choices and is designed to make a positive and lasting impact on public health. Guiding Stars is currently in more than 1,600 supermarkets including Food Lion, Hannaford, Bloom, Sweetbay, Homeland, and Kings Super Market. Guiding Stars has also expanded into public schools, colleges and hospitals and appears on the Shopper mobile iPhone application. Additional information can be found at staging.guidingstars.com.
About IDEXX Laboratories
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. is a leader in pet healthcare innovation, serving practicing veterinarians around the world with a broad range of diagnostic and information technology-based products and services. IDEXX products enhance the ability of veterinarians to provide advanced medical care, improve staff efficiency and to build more economically successful practices. IDEXX is also a worldwide leader in providing livestock and poultry diagnostic tests and tests for the quality and safety of water and milk. Headquartered in Maine, IDEXX Laboratories employs more than 4,800 people and offers products to customers in over 100 countries.