Walmart Launches Major Healthy, Affordable Foods Program, Gets First Lady's Support

Walmart has launched a program aimed at providing its customers with healthy and affordable food options that gained the support of First Lady Michelle Obama. The program comes with five key components, namely: reformulation of packaged food items by cutting sodium 25% and added sugars by 10%, and removing all manufactured trans fats; cutting prices of fresh fruits and vegetables; strengthening standards for "front-of-package seal" to help consumers determine healthy food choices; opening stores to serve economically disadvantaged communities that need healthy and affordable foods; and expansion of corporate support for nutrition education campaigns. Walmart’s initiative will have far reaching affects across the US food supply chain In 2010, Walmart launched a $2 billion program to work against hunger by awarding fresh and healthy foods to food banks in the United States. Walmart will also work with the Partnership for a Healthier America to help address the country's obesity problem.