FDF study calls for industry to reformulate F&B to promote healthier eating habits

15 Sep 2020 --- Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland research has found that 89 percent of consumers have at least one health goal and are actively seeking healthier foods. And, FDF encourages F&B reformulation as a tool to promote healthier lifestyles and habits.

“Product reformulation is rated as one of the most effective ways industry can help to target obesity,” Joanne Burns, reformulation for health manager at FDF Scotland, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Initially, reformulation was about reducing specific food ingredients in a product – including salt and sugars. However, now food companies are fortifying products by adding ingredients like fiber, vegetables and fruit to make everyday staples such as bread and cereal healthier, explains Burns.

What drives consumer purchasing?
The research took place between April and June in collaboration with F&B business consultancy Levercliff. It looked at consumer attitudes toward health and well-being and what drives them when purchasing food.

“Health is increasingly being seen by consumers as a key driver for purchasing food products. This research will support companies to better understand consumer attitudes toward reformulation and ultimately help the Scottish people to improve their diets,” notes David Craig, director at Levercliff.

Product reformulation is rated as an effective way that industry can tackle obesity.The study also gave an insight into small- to medium-sized (SMEs) Scottish food manufacturers’ experiences of making their products healthier, as well as identifying any gaps and challenges.

FDF’s Reformulation for Health program, which is funded by Scottish government, is helping small- and medium-sized food companies to make their products healthier. This includes reducing the amount of salt, sugar, fat and calories; limiting portion sizes; and increasing the amount of fiber or fruits and vegetables.

“The research [findings] show that messages around the importance of a healthy balanced diet are getting through,” Burns highlights.

She details that the study also showed that Scottish consumers are actively looking for products with healthy product claims. 

Respondents said they are actively looking for or have purchased reformulated products. 

• 40 percent look for low or reduced sugar. 
• 35 percent look for low or reduced fat.
• 34 percent look for low or reduced salt. 
• 32 percent seek high fiber products.

“It was also good to see that on average across 15 categories, 73 percent of respondents felt that they would continue to buy the same amount or more from a company that reformulated to improve the healthiness of its products,” Burns explains.

It also found that over two thirds (68 percent) of Scottish adults support the idea of the FDF reformulation program.

The majority of the 42 Scottish food businesses that took part in the survey have reformulated their products – reducing salt, sugar and fat is the most successful way they have achieved this. More than half of these companies think their efforts have helped them attract new consumers.

There are barriers for companies that are considering changing their recipes. Achieving a comparable taste and texture without increasing the cost of foods was found to be the biggest challenge.

Rising to the reformulation challenge
The research has highlighted the key challenges and barriers food businesses face when reformulating their products, according to Burns. 

This will help FDF to effectively tailor the support provided to food businesses, through its Reformulation for Health Programme, to allow them to meet consumer demand for healthier products and to improve the health of their local communities, she adds.

She goes on to flag that reformulation is a very challenging process. Food producers need to make sure their products still taste good and are cost effective. When looking for ways to reformulate, each function of an ingredient must be considered. 

Sugar, for example, plays many different roles in a recipe – it gives the rise, color and texture in a cake, as well as adding flavor. 

“The UK government has set an overall focus in terms of nutrients and broad categories of food which will have the most impact on public health. For a company, it’s important to think about what works for them and their customers, what’s technically possible and what’s an easy win,” Burns underscores.

For example, lowering salt may simply be a matter of food businesses asking their supplier for a lower salt spice blend, she suggests. 

“In Scotland, 97 percent of food and drink companies are small to medium businesses. It can be very difficult for them to grapple with all these challenges. It is vital that they do so – to help the nation’s health, to enhance Scotland’s reputation for food and drink, and to keep up with changing consumer tastes,” Burns affirms.

As part of the FDF Burns works closely with each business individually to find a tailored solution to help their company based on the type of products they make, the resource they have and their situation. 

This may include helping the business to reduce fat, salt and sugars from their products; or it may involve increasing levels of fiber and nutrients within foods; or even looking at portion size and clearer labeling information. Burns is working with businesses from across the supply chain from ingredients suppliers, to butchers and bakers, through to food manufacturers and caterers.  

Lastly, FDF Scotland will soon be launching training courses for food businesses in partnership with Queen Margaret University and a new toolkit with Levercliff to help companies start their reformulation journey.

By Kristiana Lalou