New Survey Shows Consumers Making Effort to Buy Healthy Foods But Buyer Beware: 'Zero'...

New Survey Shows Consumers Making Effort to Buy Healthy Foods But Buyer
Beware: 'Zero' Isn't Always Zero

PARAMUS, N.J., May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Americans trying to eat
healthier are looking to nutrition labels to help make better choices at the
grocery store. But consumers who take those labels at face value may find
they're not eating as healthy as they think.

Nearly two-thirds of adults -- 62% -- make finding healthy foods a top
priority when shopping for groceries, according to a recent nationwide survey
of 2,100 adults conducted by Greenfield Online.

Some 72% of consumers report reading nutrition fact labels and/or ingredient
lists is the number one way they determine which foods to buy at the grocery
store to stay healthy. And 61% of adults surveyed rank "zero grams trans fat
per serving" as the most important statement they look for on the label for
heart health.

But consumers may be surprised to learn "zero" isn't always zero when it comes
to trans fat. Products labeled "zero grams trans fat" could contain up to .49
grams of trans fat per serving under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
guidelines. That means consumers could easily -- and unknowingly -- exceed the
American Heart Association's recommended limit of no more than 2 grams of
trans fat a day.

"It's easy to see how despite their best efforts, consumers eating foods
labeled 'zero' trans fat could exceed the daily limit before they even sit
down to dinner," said Steve Hughes, CEO of Smart Balance, Inc., which
commissioned the survey.

Even seemingly insignificant amounts of trans fat can have a significant
impact on health. The AHA reports trans fat has been shown to raise LDL
("bad") cholesterol and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol, increasing the risk of
coronary disease or stroke; and it has been associated with a higher risk of
developing Type 2 diabetes.

Adding just 4 grams of trans fat to your diet -- about 2% of your daily
calorie intake in a 2,000 calorie diet -- can increase your risk of heart
disease by 23%, according to the New England Journal of Medicine(1). The
Journal reports one gram of trans fat increases the risk of cardiovascular
disease 15 times more than one gram of saturated fat.

What Can Consumers Do to Determine Whether "Zero" Really Equals Zero?

"The key is to look for 'partially hydrogenated oil' in the list of
ingredients. That's a dead giveaway that there's trans fat in the product no
matter what it says on the package," said Alyse Levine, a registered
dietitian. "Here's a simple rule to follow -- if you see 'partially
hydrogenated oil' listed on a product's label, just put it back on the shelf
and find another product that doesn't," Levine added.

"It's also important to pay attention to serving size which can be much
smaller than you think. If you're eating multiple servings of the food, you
may be consuming a significant amount of trans fat and putting yourself at
risk for many negative health consequences," Levine said.

Smart Balance CEO Steve Hughes believes the U.S. needs to take it a step
further and ban trans fat altogether as Denmark has done, resulting in a 20%
drop in heart disease. "It's time consumers know the truth about trans fat and
time the FDA takes action to protect their health by simply banning partially
hydrogenated oil," Hughes said. "Partially hydrogenated oil has no nutritional
value and poses a real health risk."

"The good news is Americans are making healthier food choices a priority and
they clearly recognize the dangers of trans fat. But unfortunately reading the
fine print is necessary to ensure they're not getting more trans fat and
putting their health at greater risk than they bargained for," Levine said.

Now more than ever, with 67% of those surveyed saying they are eating out less
and cooking at home more in the past six months, the choices consumers make at
the grocery store can make a real difference in their health.

The "Healthy Shopping" Survey was conducted by Greenfield Online, Inc., a
global research company that uses proprietary interactive technology to
measure consumer attitudes. Greenfield surveyed 2,100 U.S. consumers ages 18
and older on April 20, 2009. The survey was commissioned by Smart Balance,
Inc.

Smart Balance, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMBL) is committed to providing superior tasting
heart healthier alternatives in every category it enters by avoiding trans
fats naturally, balancing fats and/or reducing saturated fats, total fat and
cholesterol. The company's products include Smart Balance(R) Buttery Spreads,
Milk, Butter Blend Sticks, Peanut Butter, Microwave Popcorn, Cooking Oil,
Mayonnaise, Non-Stick Cooking Spray and Cheese.

(1) Medical Progress: Trans Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease' (April 13,
2006). By Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., M.P.H., Matijn B. Katan, Ph. D., Alberto
Ascherio, M.D., Dr.P.H., Meir J. Stempfer, M.D., Dr.P.H., and Walter C.
Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H. The New England Journal of Medicine.

SOURCE Smart Balance

Brent Burkhardt, +1-410-986-1303, bburkhardt@tbc.us or Kaitlin Kenny,
+1-410-986-1275, kkenny@tbc.us, both of TBC Public Relations for Smart
Balance