We believe in helping people make the right choices for themselves, their families and their pets by providing clear and meaningful information about the ingredients we use in our products. All our retail products bear ingredient statements so consumers know what is in them.
The Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labeling on most1 of our confectionery and food products provides consumers with information about the nutritional value of our products.
Because we want people to trust their favorite Mars brands, we have a comprehensive global Marketing Code to ensure we advertise our products responsibly. Mars also seeks to support parents in making healthy choices for their children. One important aspect of our Marketing Code is our commitment not to direct advertisements to children under 12 years of age. Read more about responsible marketing.
Nutritional Labeling
We are committed to providing nutrition information on our labels even in countries where it is not required by law. In addition, we use GDA labeling to prominently display nutritional information on the front and back of our packaging, and we are proud to be the first company to commit to using GDA labeling on confectionery products worldwide. Since 2008, we have adopted GDA labels in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and other markets. We also follow all local nutrition-labeling regulations.
GDAs are a guide to how many calories and key nutrients are present in a portion of a food or drink, and what percentage of a person's daily dietary needs that amount represents. The label on the front of the pack displays the total calories in a single serving of the product. The back of the pack has the same information for calories, as well as fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium.
We met our 2011 target, implementing GDA nutrition labeling on more than 90 percent of our chocolate and confectionery products globally by year-end. We have set a new target to implement GDA labeling on 100 percent of our chocolate and confectionery products globally by year-end 2012.
We continue to apply GDA labeling across our entire food portfolio, and 70 percent of Mars Food products currently carry labels with GDA information. We have made a new commitment to implement GDA labeling on 100 percent of our food portfolio by 2013. We are redesigning packaging on all these products to make sure the nutritional information provided is even more prominently displayed, making it easier for consumers to read and understand.
Resources for Consumers
We include nutritional information about our products and offer accessible information, expert advice and interactive tools for learning about and embracing healthy lifestyles on The Mars Healthy Living website. We also have regional websites, which make our healthy living messages more meaningful to local audiences:
We also provide information to help people make educated choices about what to feed their pets, along with general resources on pet health and responsible ownership. Examples include:
-
Suggested feeding amounts to help owners manage their pet's weight, for example, on our U.K. PEDIGREE® and global NUTRO® websites
-
Information on the ways pets and their owners can help each other live healthier, happier lives through THE POWER OF PETS®
-
Our major Banfield® scientific study on pet health:Banfield’s State of Pet Health Report
-
Our partnership with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which is providing information on the role of pets in children’s health and development. Read more about human animal interaction here.
See Responsible Pet Ownership for more details.
Responsible Product Claims
We believe in providing truthful claims that do not mislead. To support our claims, we use the latest scientific expert views and conduct research in partnership with leading universities.
Sugar-free gum has been approved to make certain health claims related to the reduction of disease risk under the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) claims regulation. The EFSA's approval strengthens our ability to communicate the oralhealth benefits of chewing sugar-free gum to consumers and professionals, and supports our aim to make a positive impact on oral health globally.
To bring this message to life, we’re reaching consumers around the world through our Oral Care brands – EXTRA®, FREEDENT® and ORBIT® – and a united call to action: Eat Drink ChewTM First launched in Australia in 2006 and now active in 50 countries, our Eat Drink ChewTM platform and accompanying “Food Gang” campaign show consumers that when brushing isn’t possible, chewing sugar-free gum is a great way to help keep teeth and gums clean and healthy after eating or drinking.
We have a tremendous opportunity to use our Oral Care gum brands as champions for positive change, by encouraging healthy habits and giving people the confidence that comes with a happy, healthy mouth. We are currently partnering with leading oral care experts from around the world to further define where we can make the greatest contribution. Read more here
Greater Consumer Choice
We offer a variety of products with different nutritional contents, and people can expect the same great quality and convenience no matter which product they choose. For example, the UNCLE BEN'S® range offers a wide variety of white, wholegrain brown and flavored rice products, which have different nutritional values. People seeking a good source of fiber can choose UNCLE BEN’S® Ready Rice® Whole Grain Brown. In the U.S., SEEDS OF CHANGE® and UNCLE BEN’S Ready to Heat pouch flavored, mixed, wholegrain products contain quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat, wild rice and whole barley, and are high in fiber.
Mars Chocolate provides a wide variety of snacks in a range of portion sizes to be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle. Mars Drinks offers a choice of decaffeinated and zero-calorie drinks for people who want to manage caffeine and calorie intake, and Wrigley offers many sugar-free gum brands that provide established oral care benefits.
1We have implemented GDA nutritional labeling on more than 90 percent of our chocolate and confectionery globally and on 70 percent of our food portfolio (excluding herbs and spices and condiment packs that are too small to label with GDA information as well as Mars Foodservice products, which are currently only labeled in the U.K. and will be labeled in the U.S. soon)
2Chewing gum, bubble gum, breath mints, drops, dental pastilles and medicated confectionery are exempt from GDA labeling because they contribute a negligible amount of nutrients (per serving) to the diet. This also excludes gift/promotional items.
3 Excludes herbs and spices and condiments packs that are too small to label with GDA and Mars Foodservice products, which are currently only labeled in the U.K. and will be labeled in the U.S. soon.
Candidate type 
