In what the tabloids might call an “A-Salt”, or perhaps a “Shakedown”, several cities in England have begun dispensing new five-hole saltshakers to area restaurants in the hopes of reducing people’s sodium consumption. The current widely used model has 17 holes in it, so if you go strictly by the math, patrons could end up shaking out a third of what they normally do.

Officials there certainly think it’s a breakthrough. The Food Standards Agency — a watchdog group established by the government — has nominated the new saltshakers for a “Food Champions Award”.

But does rationing like this really work? Throwing salt on fries (or “chips”, in this case) isn’t an exact science, so people could be just as happy with less. Critics, however, say diners will pour on the salt no matter how many shakes it takes. To draw a parallel with something that’s more familiar to consumers on this side of the pond, look at portion-control products. Over the past couple years, there’s been an explosion of 100-calorie packs in everything from chips to ice cream. These are supposed to put a consumption cap on rich foods, but some sources say they’re actually doing the opposite. A recent study from the Journal of Consumer Research showed people ate 46.1 grams of potato chips from portion-control bags, and only 23.5 from large bags.

Undoubtedly, though, there are those who will stick to the smaller-size regimen. Just like there will always be those who choose fresh produce and low-fat offerings, and those who opt for the candy aisle. Supermarkets shouldn’t force consumers into fewer shakes or smaller portions. Rather, they should continue to offer a variety of healthy products, then let the shopper choose.

The energy drink market, which has been zooming through the beverage industry like a tooled-up muscle car, has just been given the caution flag. Yesterday Anheuser-Busch announced that it would reformulate its alcoholic energy drinks, Tilt and Bud Extra, by removing the caffeine and other stimulants that were their draw. The decision came after an investigation by 11 state attorneys general and the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest concluded the brewer was marketing the drinks to minors and using misleading health claims.

At the heart of the investigation is the assertion that, with their sweet taste and stimulating effects, beverages like Tilt and Bud Extra are especially attractive to underage drinkers, encourage binge drinking and offer up a skewed sense of inebriation that can — among other things — lead people to drive when they’re in no condition to do so.

CSPI and the attorneys general stated they plan to target other manufacturers of alcoholic energy drinks. One of these is likely to be Miller Brewing Company, which markets a drink called Sparks.

This isn’t the first time this segment has run afoul of regulators, and likely won’t be the last. Even without the alcohol, minors imbibing these drinks have been ending up in emergency rooms, over stimulated by the multiple doses of caffeine, guarana and taurine in each can. Names like Monster, Full Throttle and Rockstar appeal to a particular demographic that often isn’t aware of the contents, and ignore the warnings that are posted on cans. But the drinks have always sold well, and always will. Marketers know this, retailers know this, and consumers themselves do, too.

The best thing the industry can do is to build a high wall between those beverages marketing themselves as teenage mutant ninja hyperdrinks and those that truly aim to refresh, replenish and rehydrate. The choices aren’t the problem here. What’s worrisome to regulators, medical practitioners and consumers is the lack of transparent marketing.

While in Dallas this past week attending the Healthy Foods International Exposition and Conference, we had the opportunity to visit a few retailers in the area, including a all-out tour of a Market Street store, part of the United Supermarkets family. The Lubbock, Texas-based company also operates United Supermarkets, as well as a Hispanic format called Amigos United.

Market Street, the chain’s upscale banner, demonstrates United’s commitment to health and wellness. This particular store, #563, opened just this past February inside a green retail development on West Bethany Drive in Allen, just north of Dallas. There’s a dedicated Living Well boutique, located between the in-store pharmacy and HBC. The section is staffed and includes an informational kiosk and a service desk.

Even in dry grocery, the Living Well program was present, with set-off signage and bronze-colored shelves marking natural/organic/better-for-you choices within the conventional aisles. This is the type of integrated-segregated planogram increasingly favored by mainstream retailers as they bring their wellness products from a separate section into the regular aisles.

Shelf tags served as additional identifiers, with colored symbols denoting whole health or special needs choices. One of the more noticeable tags was the green organic mark. Green was also the color of the reusable bags for sale for $0.99. They were displayed prominently along the front end, as well as in the wine section. The latter bags were smaller and had a divider sewn in to hold up to six bottle — no clanking.

And while this has little to do with health, one of the most notable features of this store was the quality of the endcap displays. No on-ad products stuffed on shelves, covered with loud promotional signs. These displays worked: A baked bean display promotes barbecue and the Red Raiders of Texas Tech; another eye-catching shelf hawks condiments, arranged neatly beneath a full-size grill (also for sale, naturally). Many of the props were pulled from the store’s gift section, serving as an opportunity to cross-merchandise these high-ticket items, too.

It’s encouraging to see this kind of effort going into merchandising. Deep in the heart of Texas, here’s proof that a thoughtful, comprehensive approach can create success in the area of whole health. And it doesn’t hurt to have fun endcaps, either.

Whenever I tell people about what I do for a living, I seem to get the same question again and again: What exactly is “organic”? It used to be I would give a general overview of the requirements, including no pesticides for fruits and vegetables, and no hormones or antibiotics for meat. Sometimes I’d get into what I knew about the conversion process, certifying agencies…

Now, I just tell people to think about what the word “organic” means, and they’ve got the basic idea.

That’s boiling things way down, of course, especially given the proliferation of organic products over the years. But it gets to the essence of the ideal. People, I think, are convinced that “organic” as a standard is more complicated than it really is — something that only foodies and that crunchy relative who went to Woodstock would take the time to understand. A recently released report that came across my desk validates this point: According to marketing agency BBMG’s Conscious Consumer Report, nearly half of all shoppers have a strongly favorable response to eco claims like locally grown, biodegradable and cruelty free, while only 26% voiced approval of the USDA’s organic label.

Do they know that organic encompasses a lot of these same eco claims that consumers supposedly prefer? That it’s, essentially, devoted to simpler forms of production and agriculture? I don’t think they do. Organic is mysterious. Organic, with its official seal and marketplace buildup, hints at way more than meets the eye.

Which is true, in a way. Certifying food and getting it to the store shelf is always complex equation. But in the end, organic is just….organic.

What will the economy do to organic sales? That’s a question I’ve been seeing a lot lately. According to recent data from Nielsen, the answer so far is: Not much. Organic dairy sales over the past year are up 20%, organic dry grocery sales are up by 29%, and organic produce has seen a 27% increase.

The economy’s downward spiral has yet to hit bottom, it seems, so there’s no telling where things will end up. That’s why health and wellness managers need to focus on more than just organics if they want to weather the hard times still to come.

Luckily, the opportunities are abundant. The market for local products, for example, is looking better and better these days. A just-released study from Ohio State University shows that the average consumer is willing to pay more for locally produced food than the conventional alternative. Retail shoppers will pay $0.48 more for a $3 quart of local strawberries, while those who frequent farmers markets will pay an additional $0.92, researchers found. Asked to choose between berries from “Fred’s” and “Berries Inc.” (both fictional companies), retail shoppers said they would pay $0.17 more for Fred’s, the smaller operation.

There’s also an ever-increasing market for special-needs diets. Packaged Facts projects that products related to food allergies and intolerances will reach $3.9 billion in sales this year. Nationally, there are around 12 million people with food allergies and 2 million with celiac disease. For reasons the medical community isn’t quite sure of, these numbers are growing.

Retailers also shouldn’t forget about natural and other middle-ground selections, which appeal to consumers who might eat with health and ethics in mind, but don’t want to pay the premium price.

The food industry knows better than to just sit back and cross its fingers, of course. All the talk right now is about consumers trading down, making fewer shopping trips, and making health and wellness less of a priority. It’s easy to lose confidence in the healthful side of the business.

Retailers: Don’t buy into it. The game plan may have changed, but people’s desire to live smart and eat smart hasn’t.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about the precocious new class of healthy kids out there, and about how they could change the face of youth marketing. That may or may not have grabbed your attention (since, c’mon, there’s a lot of conjecture out there about healthful eating habits). And if it didn’t, well, listen up:

As reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association and The New York Times, childhood obesity rates appear to be leveling off. The finding hints that the country could be entering a period when the numbers also start dropping. That’s great news, especially when you consider how rapidly this alarming trend grew: Between 1980 and 2002, the percentage of children considered “obese” increased from 6.5% to 16.3%

Scientists are careful not to herald the end of the epidemic, stating this could just be a temporary lull, unrelated to efforts by food companies and the healthcare sector. It’s also no cause for congratulations that nearly a third of American children are classified as overweight or obese.

It’s always good to take results like this with a grain of salt, of course. But I’ll go out on not too long of a limb here and say that the tide seems to be turning in favor of health and wellness for young shoppers. The food industry has been building momentum of late, with beverage and candy companies recently agreeing to halt marketing geared towards children 12 and under. Retailers and various other manufacturers have kept the ball rolling. Heck, even Disneyland is serving up sides of fruits and vegetables these days.

Retailers especially shouldn’t let themselves get complacent. These new results should spur them to continue healthful marketing and not let up anytime soon. Or ever.

While in Boston over the Memorial Day weekend, I ended up at Hatch Shell in the Charles River Esplanade - site of the 15th annual EarthFest. I did not expect to work, but as I walked the aisles of grass and pinballed from booth to booth, I suffered a flashback. Hey! I know you!… Don’t tell me, Expo West, right? East? Ah, right!

I was impressed by the number of food companies that turned out. Whole Foods Market had its very own, very large tent filled with samples of its 365 private label line, including soaps, cookies and chips. Employees greeted attendees wearing bright green T-shirts and primed with plenty of talking (shouting might be more accurate) points. Also working the crowd of 50,000 were Morningstar Farms, Annie Chun’s, Kashi, Steaz, Nantucket Nectars, Nature’s Path, Barbara’s Bakery, Honest Tea, Stonyfield Farms and Cape Cod Potato Chips.

People certainly enjoyed the food (the bulging, reusable shopping bags filled with freebies attested to that), but the truer spirit of the event could be found at the non-profit and local community group section, promoting various causes ranging from bicycle transportation to energy efficiency. There were fewer giveaways here, but plenty of information and ideas and inspiration on ways everyone can reduce their individual impact on the environment.

Then there was the music. A few of the five bands were from my college years. I was glad to see they were still around (like me) and still looked pretty good (hopefully, like me). One of them was a favorite when I was in school — the BoDeans, a great, Milwaukee-based duo that I hadn’t seen in more than 10 years, closed with what’s probably they’re best-known song, “Closer to Free.”

Closer to Green is more like it. At least, we can hope. It’s impossible to say just how many people actually took time to look through the free samples and giveaways, to the message and goals behind Earthfest. Purchasing ethically processed foods that respect the earth is certainly one way to demonstrate a commitment, but it’s only one part. Let’s hope next year the bike rack will be more full and nonprofit tables busier. Anyway, thanks WBOS 92.9 for putting on a great show and getting us all to keep thinking green!

Everyone is familiar with local produce. It’s nice to see a retailer taking the concept one step further and bringing local to the meat case.

Weis Markets, the 156-store chain based in Sunbury, Pa., has introduced Pennsylvania Proud Choice Angus Beef to a select number of stores in the state. The full line of hand-carved roasts, steaks, tenderloins and ground beef is aged a minimum of 20 days. The grain-fed cattle come from farms operating in three counties.

“Last year alone, we purchased more than 19 million pounds of produce from local Pennsylvania producers,” said Norman Rich, CEO of Weis Markets, during an in-store event introducing the Angus products. “Our Pennsylvania Proud Choice Angus Beef is the logical extension of our commitment to buying and selling Pennsylvania’s best products.”

While other retailers operate similar programs, using proprietary specs for feed and marbling, Weis claims it’s the first retailer in the country to offer customers a local beef program (it’s the state’s first branded Pennsylvania Angus program — period). Right now, 53 Weis stores merchandise the line, with stores to be added as more farms are signed up.

To make the most of the moment, Weis invited other local food companies that participate in the “PA Preferred” program promoting foods made or processed in the state. They included: Wilbur Chocolate, Utz snack foods and Berks Packing Company, among others. That’s how Weis does local — let’s hope all retailers have the same commitment.

If a couple recent news stories are to be believed, economic woes are driving shoppers to abandon organic and natural products in droves. One, which appeared in this week’s issue of Newsweek, declares “the bloom is going off organics”, citing data from The Hartman Group and a recent study by WSL Strategic Retail that show a declining interest amongst consumers. Also quoted are three shoppers who agree that, well, the price just isn’t right.

The story cites numerous cost examples to back this up: $7 for a gallon of organic milk, $4.50 for a loaf of organic bread, $50 for a liter of extra-virgin olive oil, and so on. Compare all this, notes the reporter, to $2.99 for a gallon of conventional milk at a Kroger store, and you get an idea of the price spread that’s crimping organic sales.

All of this is very easy to digest for readers. But the issue is more complex. For one, prices have gone up across the board, not just for organic. Conventional milk averages around $3.70 per gallon across the country right now (I don’t know where he got the $2.99 figure, but it’s definitely an anomaly). So consumers are in the habit of paying more in every aisle. Also, studies show that people are eating out less and eating at home more. Sure, most of these individuals are leaving Applebee’s and reaching for the Stove Top stuffing, but there are many who can still afford to pay the premium on certain wellness products, including organic.

One dividing point in all of this is loyalty. Shoppers who truly believe in the healthy, ethical qualities of organic and natural offerings will not abandon them in tighter times. The Newsweek story acknowledges this, highlighting that only a fifth of organic consumers hold this level of commitment. This is true, but according to the Natural Marketing Institute, that percentage is growing.

Will sales of natural and organic products ebb eventually? Sure — and we may be seeing a bit of that right now. The wellness industry is an ever-evolving one, and for one industry to sustain double-digit growth year after year is difficult. But I think it’s a stretch to imply that the category is losing its luster — or, er, going off bloom.

It’s reassuring to see the role government is playing in trying to get Americans to eat better, exercise and lose weight. The types of programs federal, state and even local governments are running these days are perfect ways for supermarkets to get involved in showcasing their own healthful products and services. Here are two examples of what I’m talking about:

Five months into their program, the 18,032 participants who’ve registered for the OKC Million have lost a total of nearly 73,000 pounds. The initiative, open to every single resident of Oklahoma City, Okla., was launched at the end of last year, under the leadership of the city’s cheery mayor, Mick Cornett (who has lost more than 35 pounds himself).

The program has several sponsors and partners, the most recent of which is Taco Bell (that’s right, home of Mexican fare with names like the Gordita Supreme and the Chalupa). The chain recently introduced its new lower-calorie and low-fat “Fresco” menu, and took advantage of the city-wide effort to promote the nine new items.

What’s notable here is that even a fast-food chain has the opportunity (and every right) to get in on the action here. Sure, these new items may not be the most healthful out there, but they represent a better-for-you option for hungry, on-the-go consumers.

Meanwhile, in California, the Network for a Healthy California is launching its 2nd annual Fruit & Veggie Fest throughout the state. The month-long promotion targets low-income families and touts the benefits of produce consumption.

Supermarkets are key players in the festival. One store in the Los Angeles area, Kroger-owned Food 4 Less, will sample fresh fruits and vegetables and conduct healthy shopping store tours. Local school district chefs will show participants different ways to incorporate more produce into their everyday meal plans.

These are the types of activities that can really improve the health of the food industry, too. Partnerships between government, private sector and the community need to be encouraged because they speak with one loud voice. And, these days, the message needs to be clear, since spending food dollars wisely is more important than ever.