Showcasing the newest member of the Tick family

Media release:
27 August 2014

Showcasing the newest member of the Tick family

The Heart Foundation’s Tick family has grown even bigger with the introduction of ‘Two Ticks’, making it easier for Kiwis to identify the core foods used in a healthy diet.

Two Ticks foods are required to meet stricter nutrition criteria than foods with the single Tick, looking more at the food as a whole rather than focusing on specific nutrients. However, with increasing concern about sugar from consumers and health interest groups alike, Two Ticks includes a sugar criterion for some categories.

Two Ticks is the result of over two years of hard work, evolving the Tick programme in response to consumer and food industry needs. By the end of 2014, there will be 74 products on supermarket shelves displaying the Two Tick logo with more to come.

Two Ticks aligns with the four major food groups for healthy adults as outlined by the Ministry of Health. The programme applies to fruit and vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals, low fat milk products, legumes, lean meat, poultry and seafood. Tick Programme Manager Deb Sue says foods with the Two Tick logo are core foods that all Kiwis should be eating daily for good health.

“Feedback from consumers and food companies has also told us that people value being able to more easily identify the core foods that make up a healthy diet, in addition to the healthier options within various food groups. Two Ticks is our response to that,” she says.

“Compelling new research from the University of Otago has found that Kiwis would gain, on average, an extra 0.7kg each year without the Tick. We believe this is a great foundation for our new Two Ticks programme to encourage food manufacturers and suppliers to reformulate their products to improve New Zealand’s food supply.”

The single Tick continues to help consumers identify healthier choices within a food category, such as soups or sauces. More than 1,100 food products in 62 categories already feature the Tick logo, enabling consumers to make better choices for their families.
Tick and Two Ticks will complement the Health Star Rating front-of-pack labelling system recently introduced by the Government by offering an extra level of differentiation to foods that get similar Health Star Ratings.

“If there are two mixed grain breads on the shelf which basically look the same to consumers, the Tick enables a shopper to see at a glance that one loaf has lower sodium and higher fibre than the other. This may be important to someone monitoring their salt intake,” says Deb.

“Tick has been around for 21 years. It’s an independent, trusted and credible brand. We’re confident Tick and Two Ticks will continue to help Kiwi consumers to make healthier food choices for them and their families.”

ENDS

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