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Conagra Brands said more than two dozen of the company’s Healthy Choice offerings will feature a label indicating the meals are “GLP-1 friendly,” making it the first major food brand to call out popular weight-loss medication on its packaging.
The packaged foods giant said starting next month, the Healthy Choice items will feature a “badge” showing the products are high in protein, low calorie and a good source of fiber — making them ideal for consumers using medications to lose weight or looking to increase their consumption of healthier items.
In debuting the new label, Conagra is seeking to help its popular Healthy Choice brand stand out as an option for the nearly 15 million U.S. adults taking GLP-1 medications to help manage Type 2 diabetes and support weight loss.
Bob Nolan, senior vice president of demand science at Conagra, said the frozen foods and snacks manufacturer is confident that the use of GLP-1 medications to lose weight is more than a fad and will continue to increase. He said in an interview that Healthy Choice fits “right in the bullseye” of what these consumers are looking for because it is portion-controlled and contains vital nutrients they need.
“We found they already are finding this food. But we want to help them. We just want to make it a little bit more obvious, a little easier on them,” Nolan said.
Even though GLP-1 drugs help people eat less, consumers need nutrients such as protein and fiber. Conagra’s new badge highlights that Healthy Choice contains these nutrients while simultaneously making the connection to GLP-1. The label will initially appear on Healthy Choice Café Steamers and Simply Steamers due to their smaller portion sizes and affordability.
Healthy Choice was launched in 1988 after Conagra’s CEO suffered a mild heart attack that necessitated a change in his diet, according to the company. He wanted options that met his dietary needs, while he observed a similar interest for consumers in the market. This desire led the company to create the Healthy Choice brand.
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As consumers look to eat healthier, and more people turn to GLP-1 drugs, better-for-you brands such as Healthy Choice are ideally positioned to benefit. The new label highlights those benefits to consumers, while separating Healthy Choice, at least for now, from competitors who haven’t added similar notifications to their packaging.
“We don’t want to wait to be the last guy, because we do know that the companies that help solve folks’ problems better, and they find them easier on the shelf, there is a sustained advantage over time,” Nolan said.
Conagra is looking at other brands across its portfolio that could benefit from marketing or similar labels to tap into the GLP-1 movement, he added. Consumers taking weight-loss medications are consuming more of Conagra’s frozen comfort-food brand Marie Callender’s because it is portion-controlled and loaded with protein. Nolan added that its popcorn, seeds and meat snack brands also have these and other in-demand attributes.
“We’re going to start by getting our feet wet on [Healthy Choice], make sure it makes sense, understand the consumer impact, get feedback,” Nolan said.
For now, Conagra isn’t considering a new brand that specifically targets GLP-1 users. The company said that while the base is growing, it’s currently only 7% of adult consumers. “It’s not enough volume for those items probably to be viable on a shelf,” he said.
Earlier this year, food manufacturers downplayed the threat of GLP-1. Tom McGough, co‐chief operating officer with Conagra, told Wall Street analysts in February that the Slim Jim and Orville Redenbacher sees “opportunity within our unique snacking portfolio.”
At the time, he pointed to Numerator data showing that consumption of better-for-you frozen meals increased 8% in people taking weight-loss drugs.
Conagra hasn’t made any changes to the Healthy Choice food, but it is using the badge to highlight that existing products are well-suited to GLP-1 users. The Chicago-based company noted the USDA has reviewed and approved all products carrying the badge to ensure they comply with regulatory standards.
The growing popularity of weight-loss medications has created opportunities for some food manufacturers and challenges for others.
Nestlé recently launched its first major U.S. brand called Vital Pursuit in nearly three decades for consumers taking GLP-1 medications and other individuals focusing on weight management. The new offering prioritizes convenience, taste, portion size and delivering much-needed nutrients.
At the same time, Hershey CEO Michele Buck said last month the Kisses and Reese’s maker is seeing a “mild” impact from GLP-1, and that it continues to monitor consumer behavior.
“We continue to see multiple sources of data validating that the consumers on those drugs aren’t eating disproportionately less of our category,” she said.
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