A: The Choices stamp can be found on food products and beverages that have qualified based on preset criteria. Product examples include soups, spreads, sauces, fruit juices, etc. Within a food category, some products may carry the stamp while others do not because not all products or varieties have met the criteria. Before a food product can have a Choices stamp, the company needs to be a participant. More than a 130 companies are now participating worldwide.

A: Products are assessed based on their levels of saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and salt, as well as their energy and fibre content. The product criteria are periodically evaluated by an independent International Scientific Committee. Criteria follow international dietary recommendations. Fibre intake should increase, energy intake should keep pace with energy expenditure, and intake of saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and salt should decrease. Only products that meet all criteria qualify for the stamp. The actual certification is carried out by an independent agency.

A: Compliance controls are regularly made by independent clearance agencies, which randomly check products available at point of purchase. If any breach is noticed, a notification is then sent to the participant. Reporting breaches of the trademark by non-participating companies is a joint interest and responsibility of both the international and national Choices foundations.

A: Weight management involves balancing energy intake with energy expenditure. If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more energy (often expressed as calories) then you take in. Although some of the Choices criteria include caloric content, the stamp is designed only to help you achieve a balanced diet overall with less saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and salt.

A: No, the Choices stamp has no influence on the price of the product. The stamp is carried by food products that meet the criteria in all price ranges.

A: A healthy choice should also be a tasty choice. Some products, such as olive oil, are healthy choices by their very nature and will be just as tasty when they carry a stamp. Other products may have been adjusted to make them qualify for the stamp. Our food maker participants make sure that products carrying the Choices stamp still taste great, sometimes even better than before. So look out for the stamp on your favourite products!

A: Helping consumers make healthy choices in each and every product group will have the largest impact on their diets and their health. In fact, many consumers seek guidance when seeking out snacks. The foundation’s International Scientific Committee has drafted nutritional criteria for many product groups, including snacks.

A: You may find samples layouts for posters, banners and flyers as well as the stamp guidelines in the Choices StyleGuide website.

A: As all products undergo a very thorough analysis before being awarded the logo, you can be assured that the product is very much entitled to carrying it. The fact is that manufacturers round the numbers in the product composition overview upward, for instance all amounts between 500 and 1000 mg are rounded up to 1 gram. This is why a label can sometimes present a value which is higher than the actual criterion.