Guiding Stars Licensing Company welcomes Dr. Mark A. Kantor to its Scientific Advisory Panel
Guiding Stars Licensing Co. (GSLC) is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Mark A. Kantor to its Scientific Advisory Panel. This team of experts includes doctors, scientists, professors and dietitians who are leaders in their fields and work on behalf of Guiding Stars to help consumers make healthier food selections. As a food science and nutrition specialist, Dr. Kantor brings over 30 years of experience to the organization.
Currently, Dr. Kantor serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Maryland. In this position, he provides training, resources and other support to University of Maryland Extension county educators to assist with consumer efforts and local educational activities, as well as conducts and evaluates applied nutrition and food safety research projects. Previously, he served as a Science Consultant for the American Heart Association and an Adjunct Instructor of Nutrition at Montclair State College. Dr. Kantor completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Miriam Hospital and Brown University and received his doctorate in Food Science and Nutrition from Rutgers University.
“The Guiding Stars Scientific Advisory Panel is an esteemed group of experts in the fields of nutrition and health and their work is helping to create healthier lifestyles and eating habits for consumers,” said Kantor. “I am thrilled to work with such pioneers of the food science and nutrition community.”
The Guiding Stars Scientific Advisory Panel’s recommendations are drawn from labeling standards and nutrient levels that have been determined as most beneficial for a healthy lifestyle by leading national and international health organizations, and are consistent with recommendation from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
“Guiding Stars is thrilled to welcome Dr. Kantor to our team,” said Betts FitzGerald, managing director of Guiding Stars Licensing Company. “Dr. Kantor’s diverse background will be an asset to the Guiding Stars program. His involvement will further enhance our Scientific Advisory Panel and Guiding Stars’ commitment to enabling people to make more nutritious choices whether in a grocery store, school cafeteria, university dining hall or using the ReachEverywhere Shopper iPhone application.”
Dr. Mark A. Kantor joins an esteemed group of leaders in their field. The Scientific Advisory Panel is comprised of the following members:
- Leslie M. Fischer, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., University of North Carolina
- Jeffrey B. Blumberg, Ph.D., Tufts University
- Tracy A. Fox, M.P.H., R.D., Food, Nutrition & Policy Consultants
- Clare M. Hasler, Ph.D., M.B.A., University of California, Davis
- Lori A. Kaley, M.S., M.S.B., R.D., LD, Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service at University of Maine
- Dr. Jeremy Nobel, M.D., M.P.H., Harvard University
Guiding Stars utilizes a proprietary algorithm that is grounded in evidence-based science and the most current guidelines and recommendations of leading national and international health organizations, such as the FDA and USDA. The system credits all edible foods based on the presence of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and whole grains, and debits for the presence of trans fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, added sugars and added sodium. Food items are then awarded zero, one, two or three stars – one star means good nutritional value; two stars, better nutritional value; and three stars, the best nutritional value.
About Guiding Stars Licensing Co.
Since 2006, Guiding Stars has been leading the way in helping consumers make nutritious choices by pioneering the first-ever storewide nutrition navigation system. The Guiding Stars program is a simple, easy-to-understand tool for making good nutritional choices and is designed to make a positive and lasting impact on public health. Guiding Stars Licensing Co., based in Scarborough, Maine, creates opportunities for supermarkets, manufacturers, food service providers and other organizations to license the program and make nutritious shopping simple throughout the United States. Guiding Stars is currently in more than 1,400 supermarkets in the East Coast including Food Lion, Hannaford, and Sweetbay stores.