DALLAS, June 4, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Heart Association announces its latest certification program to help keep diners' hearts in-check when they choose to eat outside of their home, the Heart-Check Meal Certification. The heart-check mark that has been helping consumers identify heart-healthy products in grocery stores for 17 years now provides the same assurance for consumers on meals. The new Heart-Check Meal Certification helps consumers to select heart-healthy meals that meet the American Heart Association's nutritional criteria.
The American Heart Association has been at the forefront of consumer certification programs since 1995, with the launch of the Heart-Check Food Certification Program. The iconic, red-and-white check mark has grown to be recognized as a trusted source by consumers when making purchase decisions in supermarkets. Now, consumers can trust the same mark when eating out. The first restaurant chain to apply and meet the nutritional criteria required to certify meals and display the Heart-Check mark will be SUBWAY® restaurants, the world's largest restaurant chain and leader in providing healthy options to consumers. A variety of meal offerings will meet the heart-check approval and diners will be able to identify these heart-healthy items easily starting today.
"With Americans increasingly relying on fast, convenient, prepared food, caloric intake is up and nutrition value is down," said Gordon Tomaselli, M. D., president of the American Heart Association. "In fact, Americans have lost touch with what is in the foods they eat. That's why we are making it easy for consumers to make smart choices that are heart-healthy when eating outside the home, knowing they often don't have the benefit of reviewing the nutrition facts."
The iconic Heart-Check logo will be present on SUBWAY® restaurant menus nationwide. Customers will find the Heart-Check on all SUBWAY FRESH FIT® meals featuring a variety of 6" inch subs served with apple slices and water and SUBWAY FRESH FIT FOR KIDS™ meals served with apple slices and 12 ounce low-fat milk, along with a selection of salads served with apple slices, water and sweet onion dressing. These meals meet the Heart-Check's nutritional criteria for levels of sodium, calories, cholesterol, saturated fat and trans-fats. All of the Heart-Check items must be prepared using the recipes approved and certified to meet American Heart Association nutritional standards for heart-healthy meals.
"Being the first restaurant to meet the stringent nutritional standards required for the American Heart Association's Heart-Check Certification program is another health milestone for SUBWAY® Restaurants," said Tony Pace, Sr. Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer of the SUBWAY® Brand. "The Heart-Check reinforces our leadership as a healthy food option for the many Americans who want a simple way to enjoy eating better."
A longstanding American Heart Association supporter for nearly 12 years, the SUBWAY® restaurant brand shares a common goal to work together on multiple fronts to help consumers practice healthier eating, which can lead to a longer and better quality of life.
For more information about the American Heart Association's Heart-Check Meal Certification or other ways we are helping consumers eat healthy and stay fit, visit www.heartcheckmark.org
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America's No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit www.heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.
The American Heart Association logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=9940
About SUBWAY® Restaurants
The SUBWAY® restaurant chain is the world's largest restaurant franchise, with nearly 37,000 locations in 100 countries. Headquarted in Milford, Connecticut and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY® franchise was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. The SUBWAY® brand is committed to providing a wide range of great tasting, healthier food choices while reducing its environmental footprint and creating a positive influence in the communities they serve around the world. Over the past several years, the brand has switched to products and practices that improve the sustainability of their supply chain, as well as improve energy efficiency, water conservation, and food and water quality and reduce their waste stream. The brand has also made a commitment to fully support principles of responsible farming, fishing and animal husbandry - for the long term sustainability of the earth's natural resources. In 2011, for the third year in a row, the SUBWAY® brand was ranked "number one" by consumers in the "Most Popular," "Top Service" and "Healthy Options" categories in the Zagat® Fast Food Survey for food brands with 5,000 or more locations. Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/subway. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/subway. Visit us at: www.subway.com. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.
Contact: Amanda Taylor – Amanda.taylor@heart.org
(214) 706-1644 office; (214) 356-6860 mobile