The fine balance of reformulation

Too many people are consuming large amounts of foods high in fat, sugars and sodium (HFSS) and this is causing 8 million premature deaths globally every year, according to the World Health Organization. This has caused policymakers and governments to ramp up action to make the food environment healthier - placing the onus on the shoulders of the food industry - producers, foodservice and retailers - to help consumers eat smartly.
Food reformulation is the process of altering the processing or composition of a product to improve its nutritional profile. It usually takes place through gradual, unobtrusive changes to recipes to, for example, to remove allergens, adjust ingredients, or to reduce ‘harmful’ nutrients such as salt, saturates and sugar.
However, it’s a process that requires more than just eliminating or swapping out an ingredient and poses many technical challenges for manufacturers. One of the biggest challenges, too, is the relatively poor understanding of how to change behaviour for the good and in the long term.
It’s a concept that no producer can afford to ignore - but what is all the fuss?