Today, these sites evolved from a carbohydrate focus to overall nutrition. "Consumers are looking to manufacturers and food retailers for nutrition information," says Judi Adams, Grain Foods Foundation's president. "Consumers are going to websites to find information on topics such as calories and trans fats."
Here is a look at three bakers that are using websites to promote their products and their overall nutrition:
Pepperidge Farms
www.pfwholegrains.com
Features: Pepperidge Farms uses this website to promote its whole grain products. The site features many informational features, such as recipe books and personal recipe collections. The site also houses many articles on healthful eating.
Self promotion: This website is designed to highlight the company's multiple whole grain bread offerings, and contains an interactive feature that allows browsers to quickly view the nutritional information for a wide assortment of breads.
Unique feature: The website's "Create-A-Dish Nutrition Calculator" allows browsers to construct sandwiches from a menu of common ingredients,
and then calculate the nutritional contents of the
sandwiches.
Notable quote: "Fiber: The Many Health Benefits of 'Roughage'"
Kraft Foods
www.nabisco.com/sensiblesnacking
Features: The Nabisco brand has been on the front lines of the obesity battle and has taken some major hits. This website aims to inform consumers that snacking does not have to be unhealthful. The company's Sensible Snacking banner flags healthful snacks, and the website lists nutritional criteria for products that bear the banner.
Self promotion: The website's main focus is the company's more healthful snacking options: 100 Calorie Packs, Fig Newtons, whole grain snacks and Snackwells.
Unique feature: An interactive supermarket allows users to browse through supermarket aisles learning more information on where to find whole grain bakery foods.
Notable quote: "Go forth and remember-Snack Happy!"
Sara Lee Corp.
www.breadrules.com
Features: The website mainly focuses on the benefits of grain, both whole grains and refined grains, in the U.S. diet. The site highlights nutrition articles, informative graphs and charts, and information on how to create healthful grocery lists and menu plans. The main contributor to breadrules.com is Francis Coletta, director of product nutrition at Sara Lee Food & Beverage. On the site she pens several articles on nutrition and participates in web chats.
Self promotion: Two sections on Sara Lee's healthful bread products give visitors ample information, including the complete Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient listing.
Unique feature: As the name of the website reflects, Sara Lee sets bread rules for consumers to follow, including, "Eat a balance of refined grains and whole grains to maximize nutrition, with at least three servings of whole-grain breads every day."
Notable quote: "The breadrules.com website has straightforward, no-nonsense information from nutrition experts who know how to separate the diet wheat from the fad chaff and provide common-sense answers to questions about bread."