Wamart says it will make and sell healthier foods

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Walmart, the nation’s largest grocer, says it will reformulate thousands of products to make them healthier and push its suppliers to do the same, joining first lady Michelle Obama’s effort to combat childhood obesity.

The first lady accompanied Walmart executives Thursday as they announced the effort in Washington.

The company plans to reduce sodium and added sugars in some items, build stores in poor areas that don’t already have grocery stores, reduce prices on produce and develop a logo for healthier items.

“No family should have to choose between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford,” said Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart’s U.S. division.

As the largest grocer in the United States, Walmart’s size gives it unique power to shape what people eat. The grocery business is nearly twice the size of No. 2 competitor Kroger. The company also has massive influence on products made by other manufacturers and sold at the store.

Obama said the announcement has “the potential to transform the marketplace and help Americans put healthier foods on their tables every single day.”

“We are really gaining some momentum on this issue; we’re beginning to see things move,” she said.

The nation’s largest retailer plans to reduce sodium by a quarter and cut added sugars in some of its private-label products by 2015. It also plans to remove remaining industrially produced trans fats.