Co-operative re-launches healthy own label ranges

The Co-operative Group, the UK’s leading convenience chain with 3,000 stores, is rebranding its healthy eating range as Healthier Choice.

The move follows a 20% increase in sales of healthy eating lines year-on-year and is designed to encourage more customers to choose these products as part of a healthier lifestyle.

The new Healthier Choice range comprises around 100 products and will be rolled out to Co-operative and Somerfield stores from now until the end of September. It replaces the existing Co-operative Healthy Living and the Somerfield Healthy Choice ranges.

The Co-operative said the launch coincides with early summer when there is a greater focus towards diet and health as people try to get in shape for their summer holidays.

The range provides two product propositions - products which have controlled overall calorie counts and less that 3% fat (including ready meals, which all have fewer than 450 calories), and reduced products, which have 50% less fat, salt or sugar than standard equivalents.

According to the Co-operative, the range caters for customers who are on a diet, as well as those trying to maintain a healthy balance to the food they eat and feed their families.

New products include Healthier Choice Sweet Chilli Chicken Noodle Salad, two crustless individual 160g quiches and a BBQ Chicken Wrap.

All the products within the range feature ‘green dots’, which The Co-operative uses across its own brand offering to highlight healthier products and key nutritional messages as well as the FSA-accredited ‘traffic light’ labeling.

Calorie controlled Healthier Choices fish pie

Kate Jones, The Co-operative’s head of food product, policy and pechnology, said: “With 3,000 stores across the UK - many in the heart of the communities in which we trade - The Co-operative is committed to helping our customers make healthier and more informed choices for themselves and their families, and the Healthier Choice range is a key element of this.”

The Co-operative is rolling out its own-brand Fairtrade chocolate range to Somerfield stores and introducing two premium Fairtrade Truly Irresistible products - a peppermint variety and a milk chocolate and butterscotch product. Continuing to lead the way in Fairtrade product innovation, the retailer has become the first-to-market with beansprouts, which have been grown from Fairtrade certified mung beans.

The retailer is also celebrating award success: it has been named Convenience Sandwich Retailer of the Year at the British Sandwich Awards - The Sammies.

While the Co-operative’s own-brand vintage Champagne scooped Gold awards at two of the world’s most prestigious and influential wine competitions: the International Wine Challenge (IWC) and the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Healthier Choice cereal: a reduced fat option