Nutrition Will be the New ‘NOW’ in 2016, Says Ulrick & Short

26 Feb 2016 --- After a year of battles between fat and sugar, Ulrick & Short say, the consumer is likely to benefit in 2016 from a new focus on the nutritional benefits of food products.

Sugar replacement or reduction is likely to maintain a high profile as a result of the UK Government’s childhood obesity strategy announcement expected in February. Supermarkets have backed a proposal by Public Health England (PHE) for a reduction in sugar content of targeted foods by up to 50 per cent, which it has estimated would reduce the amount consumed by teenagers by 26g a day, by younger children 19g daily and by adults around 17g per day. Health experts advise that these figures could halt the growing epidemic fueling ill-health, including heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

Ulrick & Short director Adrian Short (pictured) explained: “Many global blue-chip food manufacturers have already given their backing to efforts to reduce sugar consumption. According to PHE, children between four and ten years old consume an average of 22kg of sugar every year, so it’s no surprise that food companies recognize a certain responsibility to help lower sugar consumption across all ages and sectors, in order to help reduce obesity levels and improve health.

Short told FoodIngredientsFirst that the outcomes is likely to be gradual but positive, he says: "The initial impact will be seen with a reduced number of people becoming diabetic."

“That said, consumers are also becoming more and more aware of the importance of good nutrition as a vital component of their overall health and well being. We are confident that consumers will take on board the big picture sugar and fat reduction campaigns whilst also starting to move towards food products that bring enhanced nutritional benefits such as natural proteins and fibers.”

This view is endorsed by a 1000-strong survey into dietary habits and attitudes in Germany, commissioned by the country’s Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BmEL) and carried out by research institute Forsa. The survey revealed that consumers want more nutritional information, with over 90 per cent of respondents in favor of mandatory education in schools and 78 per cent calling for the availability of neutral information on nutrition.

Short added: “In the first instance consumers gain their information from product packaging with a certain level of backup from internet searches. Either way, it’s the food manufacturer who is ultimately responsible for providing nutritional information on food packaging, but the science behind that process actually starts much sooner, with the ingredients behind the process.

“Ulrick & Short has a long-established reputation for working with partners to develop new applications for clean label and nutritional ingredients. Now, more and more, we see the need to capture our concepts earlier in the process, demonstrating ingredients as a means to an end for manufacturers and replicating their offering to retailers. Nutritional value is key going forward, as is a certain element of transparency – and we can meet both targets with our innovative replacement ingredients for food manufacturing in any sector.”