Looking for the American Heart Association's heart-check mark on food packaging in the grocery store is a good first step in creating a sensible eating plan.
| This program is designed for healthy people over age 2. If you have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure, please contact your physician or registered dietitian before making changes in your diet. |
To be certified, a product must meet the following nutritional levels. These levels are based on a single serving size as specified by the FDA for an individual food. Other aspects of federal health claim regulations may also apply.
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NUTRIENTS
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Standard
(non-meat)
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Standard
(meat and seafood, i.e., Extra Lean)
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Whole Oats Soluble Fiber
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Whole Grain
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Total Fat
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3 g or less per RACC
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Less than 5 g per RACC and 100 g
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3 g or less per RACC unless fat content is solely derived from whole oat sources
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Less than 6.5 g per RACC
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Saturated Fat
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1 g or less per RACC
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Less than 2 g per RACC and 100 g
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1 g or less per RACC
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1 g or less per RACC
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Trans fat
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Less than 0.5 g
per RACC and labeled serving
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Less than 0.5 g
per RACC and labeled serving
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Less than 0.5 g per RACC and labeled serving
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Less than 0.5 g
per RACC and labeled serving
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Cholesterol
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20 mg or less per RACC
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Less than 95 mg per RACC and100 g
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20 mg or less per RACC
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20 mg or less per RACC
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Sodium
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480 mg or less per RACC & labeled serving
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480 mg or less per RACC & labeled serving
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480 mg or less per RACC & labeled serving
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480 mg or less per RACC & labeled serving
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Beneficial Nutrients
(Naturally occurring or historically fortified.)
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Contain 10 percent or more of the Daily Value of 1 of 6 nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein or dietary fiber per RACC
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Contain 10 percent or more of the Daily Value of 1 of 6 nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein or dietary fiber per RACC
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Contain 10 percent or more of the Daily Value of 1 of 6 nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein or dietary fiber per RACC
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Contain 10 percent or more of the Daily Value of 1of 6 nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein or dietary fiber per RACC
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Whole Grain
Content
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N/A
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N/A
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N/A
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51 percent or more by weight/RACC
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Minimum Dietary Fiber (from whole grain only)
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N/A
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N/A
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N/A
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1.7 g/RACC of 30 g
2.5 g/RACC of 45 g
2.8 g/RACC of 50 g
3.0 g/RACC of 55 g
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Whole Oat Soluble Fiber (Beta-Glucan Content)
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N/A
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N/A
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0.75 g or more whole oat soluble fiber (Must contain beta-glucan from oat bran, rolled oats, whole oat flour, or oatrim) per RACC
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N/A
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*Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC)
We're on your side. When a product is close to exceeding the limits for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fat or sodium, we conduct lab testing to verify that it meets our nutritional criteria.
It's just another reason why the heart-check mark is a symbol that you can trust when shopping for heart-healthy foods in the grocery store.
We do not currently certify: medical foods, dietary supplements, meal replacements, alcoholic beverages, candy or confections, desserts, any product containing stanol-sterols, any product whose end result per preparation instruction on the package does not meet our criteria, other products that do not align with American Heart Association Science, are inconsistent with AHA Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations, or product names that convey an unhealthy message that could adversely affect the credibility of the program.
