PDF version - Delhaize Group

Encouraging
Responsible
Consumption
The Group made its first public
commitment to tackle alcohol
abuse in 2007 when it joined the
“E.U. Platform on Alcohol and
Health”. The Group strengthened
this commitment to tackling
alcohol and tobacco abuse by
aiming to ensure that where
alcohol or tobacco is sold, our
operating companies have
readily available information
and education about our
responsible sales initiatives and
about responsible consumption
behaviors.
OTHER HEALTHY PRODUCTS INDICATORS
38% of our food sales come from fresh products
10% of our food sales are fruits and vegetables
1.5% of our food sales come from organic products
14 - Delhaize Group - Corporate Responsibility Report 2008
› Delhaize Belgium consolidated its position as
the country’s top supplier of organic foods,
accounting for over one-third of all organic
products sold in the country, by adding
organic soups, lamb and other foods to its
range, supported by price reductions of up to
30% and an annual “organic week”;
› Mega Image extended its range of organic
products, making it Romania’s largest
retailer of organic food;
› Alfa-Beta increased its sales of organic and
functional foods by more than 26% and 17%
respectively;
› Hannaford, which is the only major supermarket
chain in the northeast of the U.S. to
obtain “Organic Retailer Certification” from
Quality Assurance International, reinforced
its position as one of the U.S.’s leading
retailers of organic eggs with its “Natural
Egg” program. The company also launched
an in-store cookery program that promoted
ready-to-eat fresh products.
Healthy Consumption Behavior
We play our part in the battle against
obesity, cardiovascular diseases and
other food-related conditions by reducing
trans fats and working on consumption
behaviors for unhealthy food products
including alcohol and tobacco.
In last year’s CR Report we made a commitment
that Delhaize Belgium would review
and revise the trans fat content of all its private
brand products by the end of 2009, in line with
World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations.
In 2008, the company made considerable
progress, assessing and adjusting
more than 60% of its private brand products.
In addition, Delhaize Belgium ran a threemonth
pilot program where it sold a selection
of healthier products at its check-out
counters, as bananas and water (rather than
sodas and candy).
While considering the demands of our everyday
customer, we also think about our customers
with specific dietary needs. All our
supermarkets sell gluten-free and diabetic
sugar-free products and many have dedicated,
well-marked sections for these special
dietary products, including Hannaford and
Mega Image.
Consumer Campaigns Promote
Healthier Eating
Many know that eating healthy is in their
interest but the challenge is turning logic
into everyday behavior. During the year,
we ran various campaigns to encourage
consumers to embrace a more nutritionally
balanced diet.
Food Lion heavily marketed the advantages
of eating more fruit and vegetables through
in-store promotions, advertisements and
other communication channels, earning
the company the accolade of “Retail Role
Model” from the Produce for Better Health
Foundation, one of only four supermarket
chains in the U.S. to achieve this recognition.
Delhaize Belgium was equally active in promoting
the food pyramid, which emphasizes
the need to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables
a day, as well as three types of dairy
products, among other recommendations.
Customers can also submit questions via the
website and receive personalized answers
from professional dieticians. Moreover,
Delhaize Belgium created a website section
highlighting the importance of eating
healthy for success in sport, based on the
dietary principles of the Olympics. This was
supported by interviews with athletes and
debates on health topics.
In fact, all our operating companies ran
healthy eating campaigns as part of our 2007
commitment to improve the effectiveness of
our health communication programs. These
ranged from Alfa-Beta’s in-store promotions
of Mediterranean diets and special health
features in its Nutrilife customer magazine, to
Mega Image’s food calendar with nutritional
recipes.
We intend to communicate health and wellness
more extensively in 2009 and beyond,
focusing on the affordability of healthy foods
and on how such foods can be used to prevent
and manage certain diseases. Our instore
health and wellness messages will be
made more visible and more consistent with
other forms of consumer communication.