Irish industry trade association Food Drink Ireland (FDI) has said that a new report reveals that the use of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar by food and drink companies has been reduced in Ireland through various product reformulation initiatives.
The FDI Reformulation Project report was compiled by analysts Creme Global. It used data on 600 products from 14 of Ireland's major food and drink companies. The research spanned seven years, from 2005 - 2012.
It was supported by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The report found that:
* Salt content of the products analysed reduced by 37%
* Sugar content fell by 14%.
* The amount of energy as measured in calories sold over the seven years to 2012. reduced by 12%.
* Both total fat and saturated fat intake reduced by approximately 10%.
Reformulation
FDI’s Director of Prepared Consumer Foods, Kevin McPartlan said, “Reformulation is one of the most effective ways in which the food and drink industry can contribute to reducing obesity and improving public health but never before has its true impact on the diet of the entire nation been analysed.
“While personal responsibility will always be the most significant factor in having a healthy diet, by reducing the levels of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar in our recipes, industry is demonstrating its absolute commitment to play its part”.
Improved Analysis
The FDI intends to expand on its Reformulation Project, which will include analysis on 'the impact of reduced package sizes and fortification of food and drink products with extra nutrients'.
McPartlan added, “Food companies are often criticised for smaller unit size, particularly for snack and confectionary products, but small reductions in package sizes reduce portion size and have a positive impact on the national diet.
"In addition to reducing the level of certain nutrients in products, such as saturated fats, food companies also add others, such as dietary fibre, iron, folic acid and Vitamin D as a positive contribution to improved public health. The next iteration of our project will demonstrate the real-life changes to consumption levels of these nutrients in Ireland”.
The report on the impact of reformulation will be presented today, May 18, at the 'Food Industry Summit', at the Aviva Stadium Dublin.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
