SIMPLY BALANCED. Frequently Asked Questions

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1 WHAT DOES THE SIMPLY BALANCED BRAND STAND FOR? At the heart of the Simply Balanced brand is giving guests more of the ingredients they know and want like greattasting, wholesome food that s free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. Many of the Simply Balanced products are also certified organic. Free of synthetic pesticides and without chemical fertilizers, our organic products meet the strict standards of the USDA National Organic Program. No matter which Simply Balanced product you choose, you have our promise that you made a great choice. WHEN DID THE BRAND LAUNCH? Simply Balanced, formerly known as Archer Farms Simply Balanced, first launched in 2009 as a sub-brand of Target s Archer Farms brand. In June 2013, Simply Balanced launched as a stand-alone brand with a new look and new products. While some products are new to Simply Balanced, some are favorites that have been carried forward, and others have been updated to offer a more enhanced flavor. ARE THERE NUTRITION CRITERIA SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS MUST MEET? Simply Balanced products do not contain added trans fats or high-fructose corn syrup, and the brand is mindful of the amount of sodium in each product. Also, many of the Simply Balanced products provide nutrition benefits naturally, such as whole grains, fiber, Omega-3s, or servings of fruits and vegetables. Look for nutrition callouts on the front of the package and use the nutrition facts to find products that are right for you. WHAT CATEGORIES CAN I FIND SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS IN? You will find Simply Balanced products throughout our food aisles. We have close to 225 products in snacks, beverages, frozen seafood, dairy and cereal. Some signature products include: Organic Blue Corn Flax Tortilla Chip Gluten-Free Pasta Organic Cage-Free Eggs Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon Organic Apple Juice Blueberry Flax Granola (made with a blend of ancient grains) SOME OF MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS, SUCH AS THE ARCHER FARMS SIMPLY BALANCED FRUIT STRIPS AND ARCHER FARMS ORGANIC BLUE FLAX TORTILLA CHIPS, ARE NOW IN DIFFERENT PACKAGING. DID ANYTHING CHANGE WITH THESE PRODUCTS? In June 2013, Simply Balanced launched as a stand-alone brand with a new look and new products. While some products are brand new to Simply Balanced, some are favorites that have been carried forward, and others have been updated to offer a more enhanced flavor. 1

2 S I M P LY B A L A N C E D YOUR FAVORITE C HI PS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL YOUR FAVORITE SNACKS YOUR FAVORIT E SNACKS YOUR FAVORITE SEAFOOD YOUR FAVORIT E MIL K has a brand new look 2

3 MY STORE ONLY CARRIES A SMALL SELECTION OF SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS. WILL YOU BE EXPANDING THE ASSORTMENT IN MY STORE? Our grocery assortment varies by Target store, so our Simply Balanced assortment will also vary by store. We will continue to introduce and offer products that meet the needs of our guests. I REALLY LIKE THE SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS I VE TRIED. WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO SEE MORE PRODUCTS AVAILABLE IN STORES? WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTS CAN I EXPECT IN THE FUTURE? We re continuously working on developing new and exciting products that embody the Simply Balanced mission to deliver great-tasting food that takes the guesswork out of eating well. In the future, you can expect to see additional Simply Balanced products in our fresh, frozen and dairy areas of Target grocery. WHAT DOES USDA-CERTIFIED ORGANIC MEAN? The USDA organic seal on a package indicates that the food has been produced according to the USDA s National Organic Program standards. These standards state that organic foods must be grown without the use of most conventional pesticides. And, organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products must be from animals not given antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones. Before a product can be labeled as organic, USDA-certified auditors inspect the farms and manufacturers to ensure that they comply with the National Organic Program standards. When you see the USDA organic seal, you can be assured that the product has been verified to be organic. Products carrying the seal contain greater than 95% organic ingredients. IF A PRODUCT IS LABELED AS NATURAL, IS IT ALSO ORGANIC? Not necessarily. A product labeled as natural will not always be organic. However, Simply Balanced products labeled as organic will be made with natural ingredients. ARE ALL SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS USDA-CERTIFIED ORGANIC? Many of the Simply Balanced products are USDA certified organic. Simply Balanced organic products include milk, eggs, tea, pasta, pasta sauce, frozen fruits and vegetables, juice and soups. To identify Simply Balanced organic products, look for the USDA organic seal on the front of the package and the word organic in the product name. SOME OF THE SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS ARE LABELED AS ALL NATURAL WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Simply Balanced products labeled as all natural must meet a set of strict ingredient standards. These products contain no artificial ingredients and are minimally processed. 3

4 ARE THERE INGREDIENTS THAT YOU DO NOT ALLOW IN THE SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCT LINE? Yes. We have a list of ingredients that are not allowed in any of our Simply Balanced products. We use this list when designing Simply Balanced products to ensure that we are sticking to our brand promise of creating food labels you understand. See the list below: acesulfame-k (acesulfame potassium) acetylated esters of mono-and diglycerides ammonium chloride ammonium bicarbonate colors - synthetic, certified, FD&C flavors, artificial aspartame azodicarbonamide benzoates in food benzoyl peroxide BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) brominated vegetable oil flour, bromated flour, bleached fumaric acid calcium bromate calcium disodium EDTA calcium peroxide calcium propionate calcium saccharin calcium sorbate calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate calcium sulfate caprocaprylobehenin cochineal cyclamates cysteine (l-cysteine), as an additive for bread products DATEM (Diacetyl tartaric and fatty acid esters of mono and diglycerides) dimethylpolysiloxane dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DSS) disodium calcium EDTA disodium dihydrogen EDTA disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate disodium guanylate disodium inosinate disodium phosphate EDTA ethyl vanillin ethylene oxide ethyoxyquin food starch, modified glycerol ester of wood rosin (ester gum) hexa-, hepta- and octa-esters of sucrose high fructose corn syrup hydrogenated fats invert sugar irradiated foods lactylated esters of mono-and diglycerides lead soldered cans methylene chloride methyl silicon methylparaben microparticularized whey protein derived fat substitute modified cellulose monosodium glutamate (MSG) natamyacin neotame nitrates/nitrites partially hydrogenated oil polydextrose polypropylene glycol potassium benzoate potassium bisulfite potassium bromate potassium carbonate potassium metabisulfite potassium nitrate or nitrite potassium sorbate propionates propyl gallate propylene glycol propylene oxide propylparaben saccharin silicon dioxide sodium aluminum phosphate sodium aluminum sulfate sodium benzoate sodium bisulfite sodium diacetate sodium erythorbate sodium glutamate sodium metabisulfite sodium nitrate/nitrite sodium propionate sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate sodium sulfite sodium tripolyphosphate sorbic acid sucralose sucroglycerides sucrose acetate isobutyrate sucrose polyester sulfur dioxide TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) tetrasodium EDTA trans fatty acids tripolyphosphate vanillin (including ethyl vanillin) 4

5 DO SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS CONTAIN (GMOS)? More than 75 percent of the Simply Balanced products do not contain ingredients derived from genetically modified plants (commonly known as GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms). This includes all of the Simply Balanced products that are labeled organic. We are working to remove GMO ingredients entirely from the Simply Balanced line by the end of WILL SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS BE LABELED AS NON-GMO? Target is partnering with the Non-GMO Project to achieve Non-GMO Project Verification on a majority of the Simply Balanced products. As products achieve verification, the package will be updated to include the Non-GMO Project Verified seal. The Non-GMO Project offers North America s only third party verification for Non-GMO food and products. In order to be verified by the Non-GMO Project, a product has to be produced in compliance with the rigorous and comprehensive Non-GMO Project Standard. You can find more information about the program and their Standard at NATURAL AND ORGANIC PRODUCTS ARE OFTEN EXPENSIVE AND SEEM TO BE PRICED HIGHER THAN CONVENTIONAL FOODS. WILL THIS BE TRUE OF THE SIMPLY BALANCED LINE? Our goal is to deliver on our Target brand promise of Expect More. Pay Less. Simply Balanced offers simple, authentic food that tastes great at a value. DO YOU OFFER GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS IN THIS BRAND? Yes, you will find a selection of gluten-free products in the Simply Balanced brand, including: Pastas (spaghetti and fusilli) Rice crackers (sesame, multigrain with flax, and multiseed) Tortilla chips (blue corn, blue corn flax, white corn and yellow corn) Target adheres to the Food and Drug Administration s regulation for gluten free labeling, which states product labeled as gluten free contain <20ppm gluten. Additionally, many of the products naturally do not contain gluten ingredients, such as milk,freeze-dried fruit, frozen fish fillets and frozen fruit and vegetables. DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF ALL THE GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS IN THE SIMPLY BALANCED BRAND? No, not at this time. However, we are happy to answer any gluten-free-related questions you have about the brand. You can use the number found on all of our Simply Balanced products to call and inquire about a particular product. This allows us to give you the most up-to-date information about our products. DO SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS CONTAIN MSG? No. You will not find added MSG (or monosodium glutamate) in any of the Simply Balanced products. 5

6 ARE ANTIBIOTICS OR ADDED HORMONES USED IN SIMPLY BALANCED MEAT, POULTRY OR DAIRY PRODUCTS? Simply Balanced fresh and frozen meat and poultry products are from animals raised without the use of antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.* Simply Balanced milk products in the dairy case, such as fluid milk, yogurt, and butter, are from cows not treated with synthetic rbst**. All certified organic Simply Balanced products, by definition, are from animals raised without antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones. *Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in pork and poultry. **No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rbst-treated cows and non-rbst treated cows. ARE SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS KOSHER? Many of our Simply Balanced products are certified kosher. Kosher-certified products are labeled with the kosher symbol of the certifying organization on the front of the package. DO YOUR PRODUCTS CONTAIN FOOD ALLERGENS? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires the following food allergens to be declared on the label: wheat, soy, milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts. On Simply Balanced packaging, all FDA-recognized allergens are called out using the word contains followed by the name of the major food allergen. This statement will always be found immediately after the list of ingredients. If you have a food allergy, always check the ingredient list and contains statement to determine if the product contains an ingredient you may be allergic or sensitive to. TASTE IS IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO THE FOODS I CHOOSE. WHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN IT COMES TO THE TASTE OF THE SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS? When you buy Simply Balanced, you can be assured you don t have to compromise taste or quality to eat well. Simply Balanced products are thoughtfully crafted for taste and goodness. Here are a few products that we think are especially delicious: Butternut Squash Soup Almond Blueberry Nut and Fruit Clusters Garlic and Olive Oil Quinoa Blood Orange Essence Water CAN I FIND NUTRITION AND INGREDIENT INFORMATION FOR THE SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS ONLINE? Yes. All product images, including nutrition information found on packaging, can be found at Target.com/simplybalanced. WHERE CAN I FIND RECIPES USING YOUR SIMPLY BALANCED PRODUCTS? We include serving suggestions and recipes on some of the Simply Balanced products. For additional information and recipes, please visit Target.com/simplybalanced or Target.com/recipes. WHAT IF I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SIMPLY BALANCED SELECTION OR I HAVE FEEDBACK ON A PRODUCT? We love hearing from you. If you have questions, suggestions or an issue with any of our products, please call Guest Relations at