Raley’s flags sugar content in pasta sauce

As part of ongoing efforts to promote product transparency, Raley’s is spotlighting pasta sauces with excessive and minimal added sugar via enhanced shelf tags.

New educational signage and tags, posted during a refresh of the pasta sauce aisle, highlight products with less than 5% or more than 25% of total calories coming from added sugar, Raley’s said yesterday.

The West Sacramento, Calif.-based supermarket chain noted that about two-thirds of its better-for-you pasta sauce brand selection offers 5% or fewer calories from added sugar. More than 50 products also can receive a special “No Added Sugar” tag under the retailer’s recently expanded Shelf Guide program.

Given positive results, Raley’s plans to expand its sugar awareness campaign to other categories.

“Raley’s is helping customers navigate their personal health journeys by continuing to increase transparency around added sugar in different categories throughout our stores,” Yvette Waters, nutrition strategist and brand influencer at Raley’s, said in a statement. “We know these types of changes to the aisles can help customers make more informed decisions at the shelves and influence purchase choices.”

Raley’s focus on sugar content reflects the grocer’s brand positioning to help shoppers make more informed and healthier food choices. In recent years, the retailer has discontinued production of store-brand soda with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors; eliminated private-label cereal with more than 25% added sugar; moved cold cereal with 25% or more of added sugar to the bottom shelf; and pulled conventional candy from the checkout lanes, reducing the overall sugar offerings by 25%.

Related:Raley’s raises product transparency with expanded Shelf Guide

This year, Raley’s also boosted ingredient transparency in relaunching its private label and made all of its store-brand chicken antibiotic-free, with packaging in 100% recyclable trays. In addition, the chain expanded its two-year-old Shelf Guide to 23 icons for health-related attributes, including for new nonfood categories.

In stores, shoppers can see up to nine attributes on a product’s shelf tag. Online customers also can use the Shelf Guide icons as filters to drill down to products that match their dietary needs and lifestyle preferences. More than two-thirds of center-store items have at least one icon.

Raley’s operates 129 stores in California and Nevada under the Raley’s, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods, Food Source and Market 5-ONE-5 banners.