Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Retailer

Oldways, the non-profit food issues think tank, reports that more than 80 products — including hummus from Astoria, N.Y.-based Sabra — are using the new Med Mark on their packaging.

The Med Mark (www.mediterraneanmark.org) was launched by Oldways last summer to help shoppers quickly identify foods that can be part of a healthful Mediterranean diet.

Oldways developed and introduced the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid in 1993; it also developed and manages the Whole Grain Stamp program, and the Latino Nutrition Coalition.

Retailers can join the Med Mark program as well, and thus become involved via demos, educational programs, food pairings, online promotions and a Mediterranean Diet Symposium celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Mediterranean Diet pyramid this November in Boston. 

“With health and wellness being the fastest growing segment of the market, interest in the Mediterranean Diet continues to grow among consumers,” says Nicki Heverling, program manager for Med Mark. “The Med Diet is a fad-free approach to food that emphasizes healthy eating, without having to sacrifice flavor or entire food groups: It’s something that really resonates with shoppers.”

The Mediterranean Diet, introduced by Oldways and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health and the World Health Organization in 1993, is consistently judged to be the gold standard in healthy eating, Heverling says. New confirming studies appear regularly in leading scientific journals, and this accumulation strengthens the overwhelming evidence supporting the healthfulness of the dietary pattern of the Mediterranean Diet, she adds.

“Most recently we’ve seen studies linking the Mediterranean Diet and decreased risk of illnesses such as lung disease and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as protection against allergies and asthma,” according to Heverling.