Mars Snackfood Announces GDA Labeling Initiative in US

GDA information is based on an average 2,000 calorie diet. Your individual nutritional needs can vary depending on your age, weight and level of activity.

19/11/08 Mars Snackfood US, makers of such popular products including M&M's and SKITTLES, announced plans to redesign its snackfood packaging to provide consumers with comprehensive, easy-to-understand Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) nutrition information prominently displayed on BOTH the front and back of its products. Mars is the first confectionary company in the U.S to implement this new labeling. The GDA labeling system is a scientifically based, international standard for the average person's daily intake of calories and other nutrients.

First introduced in the United Kingdom, the GDA labeling system is now being adopted in the United States. The new labels are designed to help you easily compare the number of nutrients in a serving of food with the average daily recommended amount. GDA information is based on an average 2,000 calorie diet. Your individual nutritional needs can vary depending on your age, weight and level of activity.

The new labels feature the number of calories, as well as the percentage daily value for adults, in large type on the front of the products and more detailed information on saturated fat, total fat, total sugars and sodium, in an easier to read box on the back of the product. The new labels will begin appearing in December and are designed to help consumers make informed choices about their diet. In addition, Mars has also launched a new educational web site, www.marshealthyliving.com, which provides additional nutrition information about Mars products.

Beginning in 2009, consumers will start to see GDA labels on many of our brands, such as M&M's and SKITTLES. As this new system is rolled out throughout the next year, the goal is to have GDA information on the majority of our chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery and other food products by 2010, the company said.