I went to buy some the other day and noticed that they no longer have the "Dr. Sears ZONE" on the outside of the package. I just wondered if Dr. Sears discontinued their deal with Hershey.

I noticed that, too, but I wondered if it was because I'm in Canada and the package labelling regulations may be different. I posted as such but no one provided an answer at that time. Maybe someone has found out since.

I have heard similar things about this. Some of the varieties also do not seem to be available, and some stores that carried them are no longer doing so. I do not know, myself. But, I am also a member of zonediet.com, and a similar discussion is occurring there. The admin support staff also do not know at this time, but are looking into it.

The Zone-approved/recommended stamp on SmartZone bars is a huge selling point for both Hershey and Dr. Sears. If there's no official labeling, it's hardly a packaging accident. I hate to be so cynical, but I'd stock up on the Omega Zone bars now before the announcement on the (technically still unsubstantiated) split with Hershey comes and the price goes up on the only acceptable bars available...

[quote:fbc31a8bf1="Firecracker"]The Zone-approved/recommended stamp on SmartZone bars is a huge selling point for both Hershey and Dr. Sears. If there's no official labeling, it's hardly a packaging accident. I hate to be so cynical, but I'd stock up on the Omega Zone bars now before the announcement on the (technically still unsubstantiated) split with Hershey comes and the price goes up on the only acceptable bars available...[/quote:fbc31a8bf1] [color=darkblue:fbc31a8bf1]And how come no word from the SEARS Support staff on this - from those who monitor these forums? Nor has there been any information about the lack of the supposedly ZONE endorsed Cedarlane meals, as well!!! They are purposely keeping quiet for some unknown strange reason. I, too, might have expected more from the Sears folks. (Maybe they weren't getting enough of the profits and decided to split!) [/color:fbc31a8bf1]

Has anyone actually called to talk to anyone about this?

Yep. I called both Hershey and The Zone staff this morning. Both companies said they are still supported by Dr. Sears but neither one of them could tell me why there was no logo on the outside of the package. They did assure me that they are still supported by Dr. Sears and they are checking into it has to why they don't have the logo. They even searched in the database to make sure that there were no changes that they were not aware of. I thought maybe Hershey was just trying to get me to buy there product but when I called The Zone staff they had said the exact same thing. They are still supported by Dr. Sears and no changes have been noted otherwise. Hope this helps clear things up a bit.

I don't want to sound too skeptical but packaging and labelling are a major aspect of the marketing of a product. I find it hard to believe that no one but us consumers noticed that the Zone symbol was no longer on the Smartzone bar package. Since it was on the product when it was launched, someone had to have removed it from the label subsequently and wouldn't they do that for a reason? I remain curious about this. I like the bars and am willing to pay $2 for one if it really is Zone approved. But if it isn't, Shoppers Drug Mart Shapers bars have vitually the same nutrient content and they go on sale for three for $4 frequently. I hope there is more information out there about this issue.

While out shopping the other day, I noticed that several varieties of the bars had the Zone symbol on them, while others did not. The original flavors are the ones that still have the symbol, and the crunchy varieties seem to be missing the symbol. I wonder if this is an issue where SOME of the products are endorsed, while other products are not? Just like Cedarlane. Many of their products are not endorsed, only the ones that carry the symbol. Dan, did you get any more specific in your conversation?

I didn't go into great detail because they assured me that the Hershey Smartzone bars are still Dr. Sears approved and I specifically asked them are you sure Dr. Sears didn’t cut ties with Hershey and they said absolutely not. I tell you what I will do I will call them again tomorrow morning and this time I will ask to speak to someone that can answer the question has to why they are no longer on the package and get back to you guys. I do believe they are telling me the truth when they said that Dr. Sears is still affiliated with Hershey Smartzone bars. Dan

Thanks, Dan. I also sent an email to them, with the question. We will see, either way! My assumption is that they continue to be affiliated, but I am suspicious as to whether Dr. Sears was involved in the development of the newer flavors, specifically the crunchy ones, since the branding is not found on the crunchy varieties (from what I have seen in the stores).

Well I just got off the phone with both Hershey and The Zone staff. The Zone staff once again assured me that Dr. Sears is still heavily involved with Hershey and does approve the new Smartzone bars even though the Dr. Sears logo does not appear the outside of the package. I then asked why they failed to put it on the label since it is a big selling feature and she said she did not know but would have her supervisor call me back later on today. So I will wait to hear from him. When I spoke to Hershey they said that Dr. Sears was involved in making the new Smartzone bars but couldn’t give me a definitive answer has to why they didn’t put the Dr. Sears approved logo on the outside of the package. They said Dr. Sears has to look at all the ingredients and approve the bar before the can sell it has a Dr. Sears approved bar. I will keep you guys posted has a get more information. So with that being said I will still be eating these has my snacks throughout the day. I usually eat 2 a day since they only have a GI rating of 16 and do nothing to insulin levels. Take care, Dan

Hi Dan, A thought occurred to me. It could be that they found that having a picture of Dr. Sears on the bars (or saying "approved by Dr. Sears" or whatever) just wasn't a big selling point. I'm suspecting that most people who look at the protein bars and pick from them don't know about Dr. Sears and his work. If so, then only a small minority would be motivated by the picture or the approval seal, so to speak. Just a thought. Don't know if this is so or not, but if it were me and I didn't know about barry sears, i'd think it was meaningless. alexy

[quote:e4545791f7="alexyagain2"] It could be that they found that having a picture of Dr. Sears on the bars (or saying "approved by Dr. Sears" or whatever) just wasn't a big selling point. alexy[/quote:e4545791f7] For Hershey, it probably wasn't - they don't need Dr. Sears to sell candy bars, and after the initial Zone affiliation to hook wary consumers, they're set. Similar to the ZonePerfect problem, people will probably continue to buy them whether or not the Sears endorsement is obsolete. The suspicion then falls on Dr.Sears. SmartZone bars are currently the only food product he specifically endorses (Cedar Lane remains to be seen) that is available in major stores. No matter how much better the Omega Zone bars and shakes might be, or how many autoship discounts they offer, mail order/internet shopping just isn't as easy as picking up a bar at your local grocery store. If there really is no problem b/t Hershey and Dr.Sears - which may in fact be the case - and Hershey dropped the ball on the packaging label, I'd think ZoneLabs would be fighting to re-establish the connection. Or if it's a flavor-by-flavor basis, why isn't Dr.Sears faster to review the ingredients or upset that Hershey is possibly abusing the Zone affiliation by selling some not-approved varieties? I want to believe Dr. Sears, but I'm confused as to why it's been so tough to get a straight detailed answer from him and his staff who are usually so quick to respond. My fingers are crossed for easy resolution to this, but I must admit I'm still skeptical.

Guys, I really don't think this is a big deal. There may have been some mistakes in the packaging. This is a very mutually beneficial partnership. The Zone is one of the major diets out there and if there are mainstream Atkins, South Beach, Balance, etc, etc. bars out there, the best way for Hershey to get into the health game was to make this partnership with one of the major popular diets out there. Fortunately, Hershey chose the right one. Even though us Zoners know that The Omega Zone dietary program is not really a "popular diet" but more of a healthy lifestyle (the healthiest one!) for the mainstream of people, it is still one of the top popular diets out there (think Jenifer Aniston)........ I really don't think there is a major issue here with neither Cedar Lane foods or Hershey. The products are Dr.Sears developed and approved and the partnerships are still in the beginning stages. I believe they will be around for a long time. At least I hope so. Little note on the Cedar Lane foods. The problems is the fact that they announced it WAY early to get a buzz going but the main stream distribution and availability is taking time. We are anxious to get them and they are coming we just have to be a little more patient as they will become more and more mainstream as time goes and as the initial sales go up. Good example is that Hershey bars were anounced a very long time before they came out, they finally came out in the states and in Canada, they only came out very recently in the big pharmacies.... All in all I knew about the bars like a year and half ago and they are just starting to become mainstream here.... Just be patient and don't worry so much about supposed conspiracy theories!!! ;) Pat

I don't really think we are suspicious of a conspiracy, only frustrated because our questions are not being answered. I sent my email Tuesday afternoon. If the answer is so simple, why are they dragging their heels in answering? That is why I think there is more to the story. But, as soon as I hear something, I will post the information. Incidently, this question is also roaming around on the boards at zonediet.com, and one member had asked the admin staff, who replied that she was not sure whether they were still endorsed or not, and did not know if any of the flavors are being discontinued. Go figure... a member of the staff who cold not answer the question and had to ask the question herself.

[quote:2b98922815="cranberrycat"]I don't really think we are suspicious of a conspiracy, only frustrated because our questions are not being answered. I sent my email Tuesday afternoon. If the answer is so simple, why are they dragging their heels in answering? That is why I think there is more to the story. But, as soon as I hear something, I will post the information. Incidently, this question is also roaming around on the boards at zonediet.com, and one member had asked the admin staff, who replied that she was not sure whether they were still endorsed or not, and did not know if any of the flavors are being discontinued. Go figure... a member of the staff who cold not answer the question and had to ask the question herself.[/quote:2b98922815] I understand wanting to get our questions answered, but with my experience in customer service centres, this type of stuff happens all the time... What I mean is that some isolated event (as I think this might be) happens and a select few people start asking questions about it but the customer service staff who hears about this for the first time don't know what to say and people start scrambling for answers and that makes the company look like they don't know what's going on... But as much as the CSR's represent the company, they are not the company and don't always have the answers... The whole point is that customer service reps (who are the people we've been talking to) don't know and this does not mean that there is a a problem. I don't mean to be contradictory here, just stating my opinion and sharing some thoughts. I really think that we should just be a little patient and the answers will come and I don't think there is a big deal or a problem with the Dr.Sears and Hershey association just like I don't think there is a problem with Cedarlane foods, it is just taking some time to get lauched on a grander scale. Pat

Well, I do partly agree. I don't think that this should be a big worry point. However, my experience with customer service teams has not always been positive. If they do not have the answer, they should forward the question to someone who knows in a TIMELY manner. Even with my email, I have had no response at all. A good customer service team would have at least responded by saying that my question was forwarded to... I am normally a very patient person, and if I don't hear anything, I will probably just try again, perhaps I will also pick up the phone and call.

[quote:8fff157409="cranberrycat"]Well, I do partly agree. I don't think that this should be a big worry point. However, my experience with customer service teams has not always been positive. If they do not have the answer, they should forward the question to someone who knows in a TIMELY manner. Even with my email, I have had no response at all. A good customer service team would have at least responded by saying that my question was forwarded to... I am normally a very patient person, and if I don't hear anything, I will probably just try again, perhaps I will also pick up the phone and call.[/quote:8fff157409] Cool. Keep us posted ;-) Pat

Well, it's been a week since Cranberrycat emailed her question about the Smartzone bars and we haven't heard any news. This leads me to believe that our suspicions are correct and that the bars are no longer Zone-approved. It would still be nice to get an official response, though.

[quote:daaec1a44e="drs-635923"]Well, it's been a week since Cranberrycat emailed her question about the Smartzone bars and we haven't heard any news. This leads me to believe that our suspicions are correct and that the bars are no longer Zone-approved. It would still be nice to get an official response, though.[/quote:daaec1a44e] Well, I didn't get any email back. I am really disappointed in the lack of response. However, I did pick up the phone, and I also called to check on the question. My question was plainly, "are the Smartzone bars still endorsed by the Zone and Dr. Sears?". The reply to that was YES. Then I explained that I had seen some bars with the zone branding and some without. I asked why that was. The reply was that they don't know why, and the Zone has no control over the marketing of this Hershey product. So, I called Hershey to inquire. They also said that the bars were endorsed by Dr. Sears and the Zone. I asked why the bars no longer carry the zone branding. The reply was that it was a marketing issue, but this rep was unable to give me anything specific, nor was she willing to transfer me to someone who could explain the reason. Incidentally, I visited the web page with the bars on them, to get contact information. It does not appear that the first varieties are available anymore. They only list the crunchy varieties on the site. So, maybe the "old" ones will eventually sell out and be gone for good. Also, of note, I noticed that the web page is designed so that the bars appeal to more diets than the Zone. 4 diets are mentioned, with a description of how to fit the Smartzone bar into the diet plan. The Zone, of course, is mentioned. Also South Beach, WW (with the number of points per bar), and Atkins. So, my theory is that this is merely a move by Hershey to make the bars more appealing to the general population who follow a variety of diets. The zone symbol would only attract Zone followers, and may discourage others like Atkins and South Beach (early stage). By removing the symbolism, followers of other diets are more likely to try the bar.

[quote:21f35c08f5="cranberrycat"] So, my theory is that this is merely a move by Hershey to make the bars more appealing to the general population who follow a variety of diets. The zone symbol would only attract Zone followers, and may discourage others like Atkins and South Beach (early stage). By removing the symbolism, followers of other diets are more likely to try the bar.[/quote:21f35c08f5] Makes a whole lot a sense Jenny... I just checked [url]www.hersheys.com/smarzone[/url] and I would have to agree with you. Seems like Hersheys wants to hit all the diets and not just The Zone anymore... Makes marketing sense and they may reach out to more people that way. They designed the bar with Dr.Sears and are now targeting all popular diet followers... Wonder if their agreement changed or if that was the plan all along... They still mention and give credit to Dr.Sears all over the place which is great and the bars are still very low GI and created according to Dr.Sears' "technology" which is great for everyone whether the 'Zone Approved' logo is on the bar or not... Pat

I agree 100%.

[quote:f6e1d7a457="itsallaboutbalance"]Seems like Hersheys wants to hit all the diets and not just The Zone anymore... Makes marketing sense and they may reach out to more people that way. They designed the bar with Dr.Sears and are now targeting all popular diet followers... Wonder if their agreement changed or if that was the plan all along... [/quote:f6e1d7a457] It makes sense for Hershey, but not for Dr. Sears...I'd think he'd still want his stamp on the label, especially with all the ZonePerfect drama. Although there is a possibility that Zonelabs is happy with royalty payments without labeling, we should still check for formulation changes in the next few shipments.

[quote:e788a1f221="Firecracker"][quote:e788a1f221="itsallaboutbalance"]Seems like Hersheys wants to hit all the diets and not just The Zone anymore... Makes marketing sense and they may reach out to more people that way. They designed the bar with Dr.Sears and are now targeting all popular diet followers... Wonder if their agreement changed or if that was the plan all along... [/quote:e788a1f221] It makes sense for Hershey, but not for Dr. Sears...I'd think he'd still want his stamp on the label, especially with all the ZonePerfect drama. Although there is a possibility that Zonelabs is happy with royalty payments without labeling, we should still check for formulation changes in the next few shipments.[/quote:e788a1f221] Well, not that I spoke with anyone in the higher ranks, but the Zonelabs staff specifically told me that they have no control over how Hershey markets the bar. I had asked "why" was the Zone label not on the bars, and that is what they said.