Health mag names Food Lion one of 'America's Healthiest Grocery Stores'

SALISBURY, N.C. Food Lion has been named one of America’s Healthiest Grocery Stores by Health magazine. The November issue of Health ranked the grocery chain’s Southeast and Mid-Atlantic stores No. 7 on its list of winning chains.

In addition to its organic produce offerings and Nature’s Place organic food brand, Food Lion earns high marks for its Guiding Stars program, which is a three-star system designed to make nutritious shopping simple for consumers. Many foods throughout the stores earn one, two or three stars, corresponding to good, better and best levels of nutrition.

To provide Health’s 2008 rankings, a panel of six health experts reviewed the 35 largest food retailers across the country and made their selections based on many different criteria, including freshness of produce and availability of supplemental nutritional information. Food Lion’s Bloom stores received special mention for their produce and information kiosks that contain nutrition information and healthy recipes.

Hannaford, a sister company of Food Lion within the Delhaize Group located in the Northeast, also is on the Top 10 list. Health notes Hannaford’s commitment to organic and local produce and creation of Guiding Stars.