Dive Brief:

• Schnuck Markets has launched a program to help shoppers track their purchases of products that meet guidelines for healthy eating, the Midwestern grocery chain announced Tuesday.
• The free program, known as Good For You, adds data about the number of products that meet the nutritional standards to grocery receipts for customers who opt in.
• Schnucks is adding the new tool for shoppers as food retailers step up their focus on services that emphasize health and well-being.

Dive Insight:

The new service, an add-on to Schnucks' loyalty program, spotlights products that comply with guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the American Heart Association.

These foods must be free of artificial flavors, sweeteners and colors and cannot contain more than relatively low levels of saturated fat, added sugars or sodium, Schnucks said in the announcement. The Good For You list features more than 5,000 items, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, eggs and lean meats, according to the grocer.

The program calculates the percentage of products a shopper buys that meet the criteria and displays that information on their receipt. In addition, participants will receive reports each month about whether they are making progress toward buying more healthy foods.

Schnucks is directing promotions at shoppers who participate in the program, including fitness-oriented YouTube videos and recipes on its website that use ingredients on the Good For You list.

The Good For You program is based on technology from Spoon Guru, a London-based startup that uses machine learning and in-house nutrition experts to help retailers analyze shopping behavior and identify trends. Schnucks worked with Spoon Guru to evaluate all of the food it sells and determine which items qualify for the Good For You label, Allison Primo, health and wellness strategy manager for the grocer, said in the press release.

The rollout by Schnucks of the Good For You program is part of a growing effort by food retailers to highlight healthy options for shoppers. In another example of this trend, Ohio-based Heinen's last year launched a health membership program that provides tools including shelf labels, weekly emails focused on nutrition and a coaching program that includes blood tests.

Last year, Ahold Delhaize updated the graphics it uses as part of its Guiding Stars program, which uses shelf labels to help customers select nutritious products when shopping at its banners. Other grocers, including Hy-Vee, Kroger and Natural Grocers, offer virtual access to dietitians to help shoppers choose healthy foods.