TESCO TO LABEL OWN BRANDS FOR ATKINS DIET

Feb 5 2004

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/c...-name_page.html

TESCO are to become the first supermarket chain in Britain to label all their own-brand foods with a carbohydrate index in response to the Atkins diet phenomenon.

The massive marketing move will see the country's biggest grocer tap into the obsession with the high-protein, low-carb regime which is followed by an estimated three million Britons.

Tesco will spend millions to list a ''glycemic index'' on their food products which shows carbohydrate levels to help those trying to limit their carb intake, as promoted by Dr Robert Atkins.

But the supermarket will claim it can benefit anyone who needs to monitor their sugar intake, suchas diabetics and athletes who eat certain foods to restore blood sugar levels after exercise.

Craze To stress this rather than the low-carb craze, the supermarket are hoping to use Sir Steve Red grave, who is diabetic, to front a marketing campaign.

Supermarkets are not thought to be keen to promote the Atkins diet because, while it creates a boom ins ales of egg, beef and fatty foods, it has also led to a fall ins ales of bread, potatoes and high carbohydrate ingredients.

When the company behind Atkins launched their own range of low-carb products, they snubbed supermarkets and signed their first UK distribution deal with Boots.

The Atkins diet, which is said to be followed by celebrities such as Renee Zellweger and Jennifer Annist on, has been criticised by some food watchdogs for being too unbalanced.

Tesco isn't stupid. I thought they'd be the first UK supermarket to jump on the low carb bandwagon. The government and the newspapers may damn LC over and over again, but supermarkets keep track of one factor more than anything else, and that is where the £££ are being spent. Or not spent.

OBTW, they just started labeling some of their own-brand (non-specifically-LC) products with a "No Added Sugar" logo which looks very much like the Atkins label...same shape, same colors, even very similar typeface...but not enough like it to get them in trouble!

Emily

Good for Tesco! Let's see some more low carb products now. A sugar free ketchup would go down well!