Guiding Stars Background for Business Partners

Hannaford Guiding Stars is our storewide nutrition navigation program to help consumers find foods that offer more nutrition for the calories as they make choices in each department of our stores. This program is proprietary and Hannaford has a patent pending.

Based on a mathematical algorithm developed by an advisory panel of nutrition scientists and public health experts from leading universities, the program assesses data gleaned from Nutrition Facts Panels, ingredient lists and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's national nutrient database.

The advisory panel drew from the already extensive work in developing labeling practices and determining beneficial nutrient levels by leading national health authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, USDA, and other national and international health organizations.

To keep things simple, Hannaford displays 0-3 stars on product signage to indicate good, better and best nutritional value. If a product has 1-3 stars, it means that the product has:

• More: vitamins, minerals, fiber, whole grains
• Less: trans fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, added sodium, added sugar

If a product has no stars, it means that the product is not rated by this program or does not meet the criteria (outlined above) to receive a star.

How Do My Products Rate?

Please send an E-mail to guidingstars@hannaford.com with the following information:

• Manufacturer’s ID - 1st 6 digits of 11-digit UPC code
• Produce - National PLU Code
• Fresh random weight items - Department, Hannaford Vendor # & Hannaford Item #

Upon this request, Hannaford can provide a spreadsheet containing:

• UPC, Product Description, Rating (0-3 stars), Data from Nutrition Facts Panel and ingredient list.
• Elements for which product score was credited and debited.

If data has changed, instructions on updating information and recalculating product score will be provided. Any new items must be accepted by our category managers through the normal process before they will be rated by the Guiding Stars program.

Consumer Need

Hannaford undertook extensive consumer research that led to the development of Guiding Stars. Studies revealed confusion regarding nutrition-related information in the media, advertisements, on food packaging and on Nutrition Facts panels. Consumers indicated that they wanted to live healthier lifestyles and were seeking a convenient, simple way to shop for more nutritious foods.

All Hannaford Supermarkets participate in the Guiding Stars program, which launched Sep. 9, 2006. The program is communicated to consumers via brochures, flyers, bag stuffers, and in-store signs. Consumer inquiries are addressed via a toll-free hotline and E-mail. Much more information about Guiding Stars is available through our web-site at www.hannaford.com.