SUSHI OPERATOR PLUGS HEALTH

ROSEANNE HARPER

COMPTON, Calif. -- Advanced Fresh Concepts, a company here that operates sushi bars inside supermarkets, is taking on fast food with a flier that compares sushi's nutritional qualities with those of sandwiches such as McDonald's Big Mac and Burger King's Whopper.

Kevin Barton, marketing manager for Advanced Fresh Concepts, said the flier was shipped out to all the company's sushi bars, which are in about 300 supermarket units in 32 states.

"We did this because we think it's a great sales tool. We developed it over the last few months. It tells consumers about sushi and also gives them an awareness about its health attributes," he told SN.

Barton said the company chose comparison to fast-food items "because fast food is so common. Just about everybody has eaten it at some time. We wanted to emphasize how much healthier sushi is."

He said supermarket operators have already called AFC with positive feedback from their customers. "They want that kind of information."

The company is advising retailers to insert the brochure inside AFC's color menu, along with a price sheet. Barton said AFC provides a stand to hold the materials upright on the sushi counter.

In the flier, sushi's nutritional characteristics are stacked up against America's fast-food favorites in chart form.

The chart lists specific sushi items and six fast-food products "for comparison only."

For example, a typical serving size of California roll, which by American standards is comprised of three pieces, has 80 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, less than .5 grams of saturated fat, two milligrams of cholesterol and 36 milligrams of sodium.

By comparison, the chart indicates, a Big Mac contains 530 calories, 28 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol and 960 milligrams of sodium.

The Whopper sandwich, the chart notes, contains 630 calories, 38 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, and 880 milligrams of sodium.

The information on the flip side of AFC's flier is more general. It explains what sushi is, describing it as "the original fast food, a gift from Japan."

It also points out that sushi is low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories. Then it goes on to describe the basic four types of sushi, the ingredients and how to eat it.