QUINCY, MA - Ahold Delhaize USA is no stranger to innovation and growth. As it continues to strengthen its leadership ring and expand its offerings, it is also keeping its sustainability goals in check. Recently, the company unveiled new health and sustainability goals as part of a detailed, purpose-driven strategy to enable customers to make healthier choices, create greater product transparency, eliminate waste, and take bold climate action, all in support of developing a more sustainable food supply chain.

“The past year has truly been an unprecedented time for food retailers. But what has remained unchanged is our commitment to delivering for consumers whenever, wherever, and however they want to shop,” said Kevin Holt, Chief Executive Officer of Ahold Delhaize USA. “Food—and how consumers shop for it—has far-reaching impact. As food retailers, we recognize that our role in the food supply chain comes with great responsibility. Our expansive network means we can make a real and positive impact on local communities and our planet. That’s why we’ve committed to these goals—to hold ourselves accountable to the customers we serve and our world.”

These new goals are announced as research is showing that consumers are demanding healthier, more transparent product options. According to the press release, Ahold is committed to ongoing sustainability work and will release additional goals and plans for 2030 and beyond to build on these commitments. The goals are as follows:

Healthier Choices

In its efforts to support consumers in making healthier choices, Ahold and its local brands are educating its shoppers with a proprietary nutrition guidance system, Guiding Stars. As each of the local brands offers food to meet personalized health and lifestyle choices, Guiding Stars is leveraged to make nutritious choices easy and convenient.

“When it comes to product choice, Ahold Delhaize USA and its local brands aim to have 54 percent of private brand food sales come from healthy sales by 2025,” the company stated.

Greater Transparency

Greater transparency is key because consumers are more aware of where their food is coming from and are seeking ingredients they trust. Ahold Delhaize USA is committed to developing a program that enables consumers to shop based on personal preferences such as using less plastic, ensuring humane treatment of animals, finding products free of chemicals of concern, and much more.

“By 2025, Ahold Delhaize USA will enhance the information provided about where products come from, beginning with fresh produce and meat,” the release noted.

Through its partnership with HowGood, Ahold will bring customers an easy-to-use environmental and social impact rating system. HowGood analyzes each ingredient against environmental and social criteria, including farming practices, treatment of animals, labor conditions, and chemical use. Any product that receives one, two, or three leaves is one of the most sustainable products on the market.

The more leaves a product has, the more sustainable it is, making it easy for customers to make informed choices when they shop. Giant Food, The GIANT Company, and Stop & Shop began to offer the rating system to customers shopping online this week.

Eliminating Waste

Eliminating hunger and food waste is essential to improve the world we’re living in. All Ahold brands are Feeding America affiliates and are collectively committed to donating two billion meals through food rescue programs and donations. Ahold’s local brands have a network of more than 2,000 stores and distribution centers across more than 20 states, which enables the companies to make a meaningful impact on reducing waste and eliminating hunger in local communities.

“By 2025, Ahold Delhaize USA is committing to reduce food waste by 32 percent and 50 percent by 2030. Ahold Delhaize USA will continue [to] work toward Zero Waste by achieving 90 percent waste diversion. Additionally, by 2025, Ahold Delhaize USA will seek to reduce overall use of problematic single-use plastics. This includes making private brand products 100 percent reusable, recyclable, or compostable and increasing recycled content by 25 percent by 2025,” stated Ahold.

Taking Bold Climate Action

Whether it’s through procuring and developing renewable energy, improving the energy efficiency of facilities, moving toward more climate-friendly refrigerants, further reducing refrigerant leaks, or improving transportation and logistics efficiency, Ahold Delhaize USA companies are committed to reducing the absolute emissions from our business.

To learn more about these initiatives, click here for the full release.

As movers and shakers continue to step up to the plate with industry-leading initiatives, ANUK will report on the latest.

Ahold Delhaize