Danone North Europe has urged policymakers to work with industry, NGOs and health professionals to provide consumers with a clear definition of healthy food.
Research from Danone’s inaugural report, Consumed: Nutritional Behaviour Index, has revealed there is widespread uncertainty among consumers about what defines food as “healthy”.
The study of 5,000 UK adults and 200 dieticians and nutritionists found two thirds (66%) of consumers want the government to take a more active role in supporting healthier food choices.
It also revealed that 91% of dieticians and nutritionists agree that consumers are “overwhelmed” by conflicting nutritional information.
It comes as the government published a new nutrient profiling model this week, which it plans to use to ramp up the junk food advertising ban and in-store supermarket promotion restrictions.
The move looks set to see thousands of products, including many yoghurts, fruit juices and desserts, reclassified as HFSS. The government has predicted it would reduce childhood obesity by 170,000 cases a year.
Meanwhile, Danone said that making changes now would only exacerbate consumer confusion and undermine years of industry reformulation efforts by reclassifying everyday products such as fruit yoghurt and bran cereals from ‘healthy’ to ‘unhealthy’, despite their nutritional value.
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“While the NHS 10-year plan rightly places a greater emphasis on the link between good nutrition and better health outcomes, we’re concerned other recent policy proposals, once implemented, may add to consumer confusion,” said James Mayer, president of Danone North Europe. “Industry has invested heavily in product reformulation – reducing fat, salt, and sugar to offer consumers healthier choices at the checkout.
“If those same products are suddenly reclassified as ‘unhealthy’, it undermines that effort and sends mixed messages to consumers.”
Danone has worked to ensure that over 90% of its product portfolio is now non-HFSS. Its research revealed that two thirds of consumers (64%) support reformulation efforts. When choosing foods, price is one of the most important factors in purchasing decisions, alongside high levels of sugar (30%), salt (24%) and fat (22%).
The research added that while ultra-processed food is widely used, there is no universally agreed definition of UPF, which was confusing consumers. The majority of dieticians and nutritionists (88%) said that most people did not understand what UPFs are.
While 72% of consumers view processed foods as unhealthy, and half (47%) actively avoid them – 45% still seek products with added benefits such as protein or fibre – which require some level of processing.
“Focusing on the amount of processing, rather than a product’s nutritional value, is creating unnecessary confusion,” said Niamh Brannelly, head of nutrition and science communication. “Products enriched with fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals play an important role in a balanced diet and shouldn’t be categorised as ‘unhealthy’ alongside those high in added fats and sugars.
“By not providing clear and consistent advice grounded in nutritional value, we risk making it harder for consumers to make healthier choices.”
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