SPARKS, MD. — Inspiring healthy choices and delivering high performance are two key ways in which McCormick & Company, Inc. has set out to achieve corporate social responsibility goals, the Sparks-based flavor provider noted in its 2013 Corporate Social Responsibility review, “Sharing our passion for flavor.”

In the report, McCormick stated its commitment to helping consumers improve health and wellness through the nutritional quality of diets and the transformative power of flavor.

“In 2012, more than 30% of our product development projects for industrial customers were focused on helping achieve lower sodium, lower calories or other healthy attributes,” McCormick said. The company said it offers more than 450 salt-free consumer products as well as reduced-sodium varieties of many top-selling items. In addition, none of the company’s recipe mixes contain trans fats, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial colors or flavors, McCormick said.

Another sign of McCormick’s commitment to health and wellness is its work through the McCormick Science Institute.

“We are funding independent research at leading universities to uncover and advance the potential health benefits of culinary spices and herbs in improving diet quality,” McCormick said.

Through the institute, McCormick said it partners with top nutrition scientists to help consumers more easily comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including reducing salt, fat and added sugars.

“M.S.I.’s research is studying improvement of dietary compliance in other global regions, which could lead to improvements in overall health,” McCormick said. “Twenty-one sponsored clinical trials are currently under way or have already been completed, addressing topics such as phytonutrients, heart health, weight management, muscle recovery, increasing vegetable consumption and improving adherence to healthy eating plans.”

McCormick also has set a goal to better educate consumers. To achieve that goal by 2018, the company said it has committed to a 20% increase in global marketing investment on the role of flavor in healthy eating. By demonstrating how flavor may help inspire healthy choices, McCormick said it plans to show how to make it more enjoyable and sustainable for people to eat more of the right foods and less of the foods to avoid.

In addition to inspiring healthy flavors, McCormick noted in the report its progress on improving its environmental performance. Using a 2009 baseline, McCormick said it aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10%, bottle packaging weight by 25%, water use by 20%, electricity use by 20% and solid waste by 50% by 2018. Through 2012, the company said it has achieved a 4% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 10% reduction in bottle packaging weight, 5% reduction in water use, 8% reduction in electricity use, and 34% reduction in solid waste.