Independent research verifies that Guiding Stars works.
A 2013 study published in the journal Food Policy confirms that Guiding Stars, the nation’s leading nutrition guidance program, influences grocery shoppers’ selections, significantly increasing demand for products that are rated more nutritious, at the expense of those that are not. According to the study Effects of the Guiding Stars Program on purchases of ready-to-eat cereals with different nutritional attributes, shoppers were significantly more likely to choose ready-to-eat cereals with one, two or three Guiding Stars, indicating a higher nutritional value, versus those with zero stars, or a lower nutritional value. As a result, the market shares of cereals earning Guiding Stars increased, while those without stars declined in relative proportion. At the same time, the study results suggest that the Guiding Stars point-of-purchase information led customers to become increasingly loyal to products earning stars, even if the prices of those products fluctuate.
What the Industry is Saying
“Julie Greene, healthy living manager at Hannaford, said the Guiding Stars program has been a hit with consumers, helping them navigate confusing claims on packaging that highlight a product’s nutritional attributes while masking less-healthy ingredients.” – Associated Press, via Washington Post