The Heart Foundation Tick

Since 1990 food manufactures have had the opportunity to earn the Heart Foundation tick of approval for their food products. Ready meal products are tested according to four main criteria-  300-350mg/100g or less Sodium, vegetables-75g/serve or more & fibre- 3g/serve or more. These meals are only allowed 2g saturated fat/100g or less; and 6g/serve or less - no partially hydrogenated fat or trans fat (0.2g/100g or less). The  number of Kj per serve was introduced in 2009  (ready meals 2200kj/ serve or less), as well as the requirement of 5g/serve or more of protein.

In  September,2011 The Sunday Telegraph published an article about the Heart Foundation tick. Here is an extract:
'In 2008, when The Sunday Telegraph revealed the Tick had been granted to pizza, pies and sausage rolls, the Heart Foundation accused the newspaper of attempting to damage its reputation.
But leading brand experts and health professionals said the Heart Foundation ruined their own brand by aligning with fast food five years ago.
"It has to damage the credibility of the heart brand," said University of Sydney business professor Charles Areni said.
And the fact McDonald's paid $300,000 a year to wear the healthy badge devalued the Tick's relevance, he said.
Dietitian Rosemary Stanton said the charity dropped its standards when it aligned with McDonald's and consumers today ignore the Tick.
One of the greatest criticisms of the Tick program is the secrecy around how a company earns one.
Over the past five years products such as Four'N Twenty meat pies, Ingham's herb and garlic turkey breast schnitzel and McDonald's McChicken burgers have worn the healthy badge.
Even a beef and bernaise pizza and cheese steak pizza won the endorsement.'
Although reducing kilojoules, fat,  and sodium , & having a required minimum percentage content for protein & fibre is highly desirable in such products, it's still a fair distance away from what should be categorised as a 'healthy choice'.
'The foundation this week severed ties with McDonald's and other fast food outlets -- a move brand experts described as essential to maintain any shred of credibility.'  The Sunday Telegraph, 25th Sept, 2011