DALLAS—As part of its goal to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent by the year 2020, the American Heart Association (AHA) has expanded and improved its Heart-Check Food Certification Program, and has developed a new look for the Heart-Check mark itself.
The revamped program now allows certification of more foods with healthier fats, including fish, nuts and other foods higher in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Further, AHA revised sodium allowances and implemented screening guidelines to limit added sugars and promote dietary fiber in certified products.
Foods that have heart-health benefits, including the presence of “better fats," monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, are eligible for certification immediately. To allow food manufacturers time to reformulate their production processes, the updated requirements covering sodium, sugar and fiber will be effective in 2014.
“With these enhancements, the Heart-Check program will help consumers easily identify and choose even more heart-healthy foods for themselves and their families," said Rachel Johnson, Ph.D., R.D., the Bickford Green and Gold Professor of Nutrition at the University of Vermont and an American Heart Association spokeswoman. “The Heart-Check program brings benefits to those companies invested in the health of their consumers. Not only does it add a level of credibility and trust that other programs don’t bring, but certification aligns food products with a leading heart-health organization."
