Industry Commitments

MARS Food US

2021 Progress Report

Year Committed: 2016

Length of Commitment: 5 years

Select a Progress Report:

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Committed to offer healthier foods to consumers, provide access to nutrition information and create opportunities for its associates to improve their personal wellbeing. MARS Food U.S. will reduce sodium and added sugars, increase vegetable servings, increase whole grains and update its nutrition criteria to reflect 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Verified Results

Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
All new products in the United States will meet or be reformulated to meet added sugar guidelines under Mars Food Nutrition Criteria in order to be prominently and clearly labeled as Òeveryday.Ó Otherwise, the products will be labeled as Òoccasional,Ó defined as foods to be consumed once per week.
Progress To Date

All eight new products introduced in 2019 and 2020 met the Mars Food Nutrition Criteria added sugar guidelines.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
Reduce sodium in UNCLE BENÕS¨ and SEEDS OF CHANGE¨ products of 20% by 2021 based on aggregate tonnage sold.
Progress To Date

Through a combination of reformulation, new product development and product elimination, Mars Food US decreased the sodium its Ben's Original and Seeds of Change Product portfolio by 14.6% from baseline, based on aggregate tonnage sold.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
Ensure all tomato-based jar products sold or introduced in the United States include a minimum of one serving of vegetables per serving.
Progress To Date

No tomato-based jar products are available in the United States at this time.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
Expand whole grain options in the United States so that at least half of all grain products in Mars U.S. Food product portfolio includes at least 16g of whole grains per serving and may include legumes.
Progress To Date

Mars is making progress on its commitment. In 2019, 41.9% of all grain product recipes in the Mars U.S. Food Product portfolio contained at least 16g of whole grains per serving and in 2020, 39.1% of all recipes met the threshold. In 2020, 18 Ben’s Original and Seeds of Change products in the portfolio contained legumes.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
Help consumers differentiate and choose between ÒeverydayÓ and ÒoccasionalÓ (once per week) options through prominent, on-pack guidance and website content, subject to US legal requirements.
Progress To Date

As of 2021, all Ben’s Original packaging includes guidance to help consumers choose between products that are recommended any day of the week and products that should be consumed as a part of a balanced weekly diet. All Seeds of Changes product packaging contains nutrition and ingredient claims to help consumers make healthy choices.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
Clearly label Everyday meal recipes on packaging and online that will meet Mars Food Nutrition Criteria and encourage the consumption of more vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins
Progress To Date

Mars Food US offers a variety of Everyday meal recipes that meet Mars Food Nutrition Criteria and encourage consumption of vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins on its Uncle Ben's and Seeds of Change websites.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
UNCLE BENÕS¨ will use BenÕs BeginnersTM campaign to build awareness about the proven benefits of cooking and eating healthier meals together, delivering a 15% increase year over year on media impressions.
Progress To Date

The Ben's Beginners program was discontinued in 2019.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
Explore new formats and opportunities to offer 'everyday' products in more places at affordable prices.
Progress To Date

To expand access to everyday products, Mars Food US began offering products at the Dollar Tree at affordable prices in 2021.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
All Associates will be offered nutrition education courses at least one time per year.
Progress To Date

Mars Food US transitioned to the "Be Well" health and well-being program. Through Eat Well, Be Well, associates have access to nutrition education, wellness coaching, customized meal planning and a variety of recorded videos on nutrition and health topics.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
Ensure all 3 US sites (2 offices, 1 factory) have cooking kitchens.
Progress To Date

The Mars “FGI” North American headquarters location features a full commercial kitchen used for recipe development, product tasting and associate cooking activities.
Implementation Date
December 2021
Reporting Date
May 2021

Commitment Element
All 3 US sites offer free fitness facilities.
Progress To Date

Associates at the Chicago North American headquarters site may access the fitness center across the street at the Mars Goose Island site at no cost. The Mars Greenville site features an onsite fitness facility available for associate use at no cost.

Partner Statement

Food matters. It means more than just what is on our plates. We know that what we eat, where it comes from and who we share it with are important. Food is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle and it’s a way for us to bond, laugh, talk and teach each other how to make our favorite meals. This informs how we bring our Mars Food purpose to life – Better Food Today. A Better World Tomorrow.