Bloom, a banner of Food Lion, Salisbury, N.C., is launching the Guiding Stars Nutrition Navigation Program in all of its stores this month. Its sister company, Hannaford Supermarkets, Scarborough, Me., began using the program in 2006, and has found marked success.

Developed by an independent scientific advisory panel of experts, Guiding Stars is the first system of its kind in the United States and follows a specific algorithm for labeling food items based on their nutritional content. The number of stars – one, two or three – on the product’s shelf tag represents the nutritional value of the food item, with three stars being the most nutritious choice.

“Based on research surrounding the initial success of this program, we recognize that customers want shelf-level assistance in deciding what foods to buy for themselves and their families,” said James Egan, vice president of Bloom. “With this innovative program, Bloom stores will provide shoppers with a convenient, easy-to-use approach to buying the most nutritious choices.”

Each of the 61 Bloom stores’ 30,000+ food items have been analyzed. Foods with one star have good nutritional value, while two stars represents better nutritional value and three stars signifies the best nutritional value. If the shelf tag has no stars, it simply means one of two things: either the food doesn’t meet the criteria for a star or the food is not rated. For example, bottled waters and other items with less than five calories per manufacturer’s serving are not rated.

Foods with stars generally have more vitamins, minerals, fiber and whole grains, but less trans and saturated fats, cholesterol, added sodium and added sugars. However, the Guiding Stars formula also recognizes natural differences in foods and adjusts the formula for calculating stars accordingly.

“The Guiding Stars system was created to give busy shoppers a quick, at-a-glance tool if they’re looking for foods with more nutrition value in each department of our stores,” said Robin Johnson, director of Bloom marketing and brand development. “Our system complements the Nutrition Facts label as an easy, convenient starting point – from there, shoppers can find more details on the label itself.”

The third-party panel’s ratings for the Guiding Stars system were drawn from labeling standards and nutrient levels set by the leading national health organizations (Food and Drug Administration, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, National Academies of Science, World Health Organization) that have determined those most beneficial for a healthy lifestyle. Guiding Stars supports the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans that the government recently released.

The Guiding Stars system only uses information readily available to consumers on the Nutrition Facts labels and the ingredient lists, which are right on the food package. If the food is not packaged, like fruits, vegetables and meats, the data comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Bloom is a banner of Food Lion, LLC, a subsidiary of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG - News). Bloom operates stores in North and South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. For more information visit www.shopbloom.com.