Manufacturers are reducing the salt and fat content of their products in a bid to make them more health-friendly

With such a furore over salt levels and the government continuously banging the health drum, crisps, nuts and bagged snacks manufacturers have been forced to put a lot of effort into making their products more attractive to the health-conscious consumer.
And, with the healthy crisps and snacks segment of take-home crisps, nuts and bagged snacks only accounting for 4% of the annual category value, the challenge remains to develop this segment further.
“Although there is no getting away from the fact that health concerns aren’t going to go away, snacks are, in the end, an indulgent market. However, the market is definitely changing in response to demands from consumers and the government,” says Heidi Jackson, trading manager at Musgrave Budgens-Londis.
“Manufacturers are
addressing health issues by launching more baked rather than fried products and by lowering salt and fat contents. Generally, we are seeing healthier snacks coming into the mainstream market.”
Sure enough, the big boys have been digging deep into their pockets to make existing products more health-friendly as well as adding new healthier options to their portfolios. A lot of cash has also been poured into marketing to highlight just how much better for you their products are, or have become.
Walkers stepped into 2005 on a healthy note by ramping up activity on its better-for-you snacks. The snacks giant launched a new Under 100 Calories multipack at the beginning of the year, bringing together its Lites, Quavers and French Fries offerings for the first time. The range has been designed to better communicate the calorie intake of products and to enable consumers to make more informed choices about the products they choose to snack on.
At the same time, Quaker has invested £4m, its biggest investment to date, in eye-catching display units for its growing portfolio of healthy snacks.
PepsiCo, which has already reduced the saturated fat content of Walkers crisps by 30% by using a special blend of vegetable oil and special sunflower oil, says it will reduce this further in 2006.
“The government’s focus on health has led to greater awareness of the food we eat,” says Nicky Seal, PepsiCo trade marketing manager. “There is greater demand for healthier versions of our favourite products. By the end of 2006 we will as a company have made a total saturated fat reduction of 50% since 2003.”
United Biscuits has taken a different route with the launch
of its on-pack labelling initiative 123 for a healthy balance. This communication device includes nutritional information on the products as well as diet and lifestyle tips. Guideline Daily Amounts for key nutrients are also included.
Elsewhere, Empire Foods has launched a range of Terra crisps, using vacuum-frying technology which it claims reduces the crisp’s fat content by 50%. Terra Chips contain no artificial colourings or flavours.
Kettle Chips is also doing its bit to help consumers reduce their salt intake by baring all. Its new Kettle Chips Undressed, launched in April this year, are natural, unsalted crisps made from sliced potato fried in sunflower oil.
UBUK has taken a similar approach with its Hula Hoops Shake 2 Salt. Consumers have the choice to eat the crisps, which contain a separate sachet of salt, either ‘undressed’ or with the addition of salt.
Kettle MD Jeremy Bradley says: “Kettle Foods has an active programme to support the government’s efforts and to respond to consumers’ snacking needs. Although government studies have shown that salty snacks do not contribute highly to the average adult’s daily intake, salt is a major food concern for UK consumers.”
Processor and manufacturer of nuts and savoury snacks Sun Valley has just launched a You Are What You Eat range of snacks centred around high-quality natural nuts, fruit and seeds.
The products, which come in four varieties - Nothing But Nuts, Fruit & Seeds Mix, Sensational Natural Seed Mix and Fruitabulous Fruit and Nut Mix, are free from additives, sodium and cholesterol, and contain added essential vitamins and minerals, as well as being high in fibre.