CVS removes artificial trans fats from store food product brands

CVS Pharmacy has removed partially hydrogenated oils, which are the primary source of artificial trans fats in processed foods, from all its store brands food products, the company announced Wednesday.
CVS Pharmacy has removed partially hydrogenated oils, which are the primary source of artificial trans fats in processed foods, from all its store brands food products, the company announced Wednesday.

WOONSOCKET – CVS Pharmacy has removed partially hydrogenated oils, which are the primary source of artificial trans fats in processed foods, from all its store food product brands, the company announced Wednesday.

CVS Health Corp. said it is the first national retail pharmacy chain to take this action. CVS Pharmacy is the retail division of the company.

The retailer offers more than 600 snack and grocery options, now free from artificial trans fats. The company said this move comes a year and a half ahead of the federal Food and Drug Administration’s deadline of June 2018 for processed foods to be reformulated without artificial trans fats.

“At CVS Pharmacy we are dedicated to helping our customers lead healthier lives, and moved quickly to ensure all of our snack and grocery store brands products are free from artificial trans fats,” Judy Sansone, senior vice president front store business and chief merchant, CVS Health, said in a statement. “Our commitment to producing high-quality products reinforces that CVS Pharmacy is a leading health destination.”

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The removal of artificial trans fats in processed foods is expected to aid in reducing coronary heart disease and help prevent thousands of fatal heart attacks every year, CVS said.

The move was lauded by Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association.

“The early removal of trans fats in all CVS Pharmacy store brands products will help to improve overall heart health and prevent heart disease for many Americans,” he said in prepared remarks.

Since the beginning of January, all snack and grocery store brands products developed by CVS Pharmacy and shipped to distribution centers have been free from artificial trans fats. The early removal of artificial trans fats from all store brands products follows a significant expansion of healthy foods to stores nationwide throughout 2016, the company said.

The company has begun other initiatives to promote health, such as moving healthy foods toward the front of stores, dedicating at least 25 percent of front checkout space to healthier snacks and introducing healthy eating trend zones that showcase selections of paleo, raw and vegan snacks at key periods throughout the year.

The company also launched the “Fit Choices” shelf-tagging program, helping customers easily find healthier items in stores by clearly identifying products that fit nutritional and dietary preferences, including heart healthy, good source of protein, gluten-free, sugar-free, organic and non-GMO project verified.

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