Despar Italia has implemented a project aimed at reformulating private label products to better meet current nutritional guidelines.
The initiative comes as a response to recent warnings by the WHO and Italy’s Ministry of Health about the increase in child obesity across Europe.
In partnership with the School of Higher Studies in Food and Nutrition of the University of Parma, the retailer is analysing 300 own brand products across nine different categories (biscuits, snacks, breakfast cereals, salted snacks, crackers, ice cream, yogurt, juice and soft drinks).
Despar Italia is seeking the best way to reformulate products in these categories, while working closely with suppliers on product development
According to Lucio Fochesato, director general of Despar Italia, “proper nutrition cannot be separated from the nutritional quality of products”.
Elsewhere, Daniele Del Rio, chairman of the Higher School for Studies on Food and Nutrition at the University of Parma, stressed that the partnership “covers a full diet with the correct combination of foods”.
A recent study by Istituto Superiore della Sanità, which included more than 48,400 parents and 48,900 children, found that in 2016, 21.3% of the participating children were overweight and 9.3% obese.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
