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Snack giants battle health rules: Is your favorite food changing?
29 Aug
Summary
- Major snack brands are reformulating products to meet UK health regulations.
- Companies invested millions in R&D to reduce fat, sugar, and salt.
- Regulatory uncertainty threatens to undo years of reformulation work.
British food brands are undergoing substantial recipe overhauls to meet evolving government health regulations concerning high-fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) products. For instance, Ritz crackers now contain 80% less saturated fat due to ingredient swaps like palm oil for sunflower oil, a change developed over years in laboratories.
Major companies, including Mondelēz International, have invested heavily, with the UK becoming their largest global R&D hub. This reformulation effort aims to comply with rules like the ban on paid-for advertising of HFSS products online, effective since January 2026.
However, proposed changes to the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM), including stricter sugar thresholds, pose a new challenge. Industry representatives warn that up to 80% of reformulated products might fail under the new criteria, potentially negating past efforts and impacting marketability.
Challenges in reformulation include maintaining texture and bulk, as sugar provides more than just sweetness. Additionally, the food industry faces concerns that even if they create healthier products, restrictions on advertising them could hinder their success.
While health advocacy groups support stricter models to encourage better nutritional quality, the industry stresses the need for stable regulatory targets to justify long-term investment and innovation in healthier snack options.
