BLC bolsters fats and oil reformulation ahead of EU nutrition label regulation

06 Oct 2020 --- European regulators are gearing up to make front-of-pack nutrition labeling mandatory by the end of 2022. In response to this, Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC) is ramping up its reformulation solutions to give food manufacturers a “competitive edge” on their front-of-pack labels (FOPL).

Targeting players in the dairy, bakery, culinary and confectionery sectors, BLC will facilitate SAFA (saturated fat) and sugar reductions, enabling healthier choices without compromising taste experience.

With consumers becoming increasingly conscious about their food choices, there is unprecedented momentum around the standardization of food labeling systems that enable healthier purchasing choices for consumers, says BLC.

In April, NutritionInsight reported that food industry giants, including Nestlé and Danone, were joining a coalition calling for Nutri-Score to become the mandatory FOPL system across the EU. 

Last year, Nestlé implemented Nutri-Score in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland. A few months later, the first Nestlé products – including Menier chocolate and Garden Gourmet plant-based food – with Nutri-Score hit the shelves. Other brands such as Cheerios and Fitness breakfast cereals, Nescafé and Nestlé Dessert will follow before the end of this year.

Meanwhile, Danone has started to roll out Nutri-Score on its essential dairy and plant-based products in eight EU countries so far, with deployment in other categories currently being addressed. 

BLC is engaging with its customers concerning FOPL improvements for cookies, chocolate coatings and spreads, ice cream and chips. Guilt-free indulgence
“Proactively choosing to adopt and implement front-of-pack nutrition labels ahead of European regulation will undoubtedly give food products in the indulgent category a true competitive edge in Europe,” notes Feike Swennenhuis, marketing director EMEA at BLC. 

“Our goal is to work closely with our customers to reimagine their most loved products so their consumers can continue to indulge in them guilt-free. We can ensure a more balanced nutritional profile is achieved without adding any complexity to the production process.”

“Our oils and fats solutions are proof that more conscious and more nutritious does not have to mean less taste,” adds Renee Boerenfijn, innovation director EMEA at BLC. 

“We believe we have cracked the code for food manufacturers looking to win in the market for the foreseeable future,” she adds. 

BLC brings in-depth market knowledge in applying fat solutions for sugar and SAFA reductions, resulting in more nutritionally balanced options for the consumer. 

Launched earlier this year, BLC’s Sweetolin product is a “first-of-its-kind total fat system solution” that enables up to 50 percent less sugar in the final confectionery product without compromising taste experience. 

The science behind BLC’s proposition is backed by its commitment to deliver innovative and tailor-made specialty fat solutions to global food manufacturers. 

In-house lipid and application expertise enables smooth and effortless co-creation with customers while BLC’s global footprint and integrated supply chain ensure continuous and uninterrupted supply, the company notes. 

#totheleft
Moreover, BLC is collaborating with food industry players to improve their products’ performance on nutrition labels. 

With its latest campaign, BLC invites its customers to move the needle #totheleft and up the score line on labels like Nutri-Score.

BLC is already engaging with its customers concerning FOPL improvements for cookies, chocolate coatings and spreads, ice cream and chips.

Last month, sister publication NutritionInsight reported that color-coded FOPL was the subject of controversy, with Copa and Cogeca arguing that the system “stigmatizes” highly nutritious products and often promotes unhealthy options.

Edited by Elizabeth Green 

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