Greggs has partnered with research and innovation foundation Nesta to develop a method for measuring the healthiness of food sales.
The collaboration will see the food-to-go chain report performance against this measure and set a target to deliver improvement by the end of 2030.
“Our partnership with Greggs will help to show that public health and business success can go hand-in-hand,” said Nesta director of healthy life Hugo Harper.
“By reporting the healthiness of their sales and setting targets for improvement, our work will provide further evidence on how mandatory health targets for all large food businesses, such as those announced by the government, can work for the out-of-home industry while making it easier for customers to buy healthier food.”
The partnership builds on updates Greggs has already made to its menu, to provide a wider range of health-focused foods to customers.
In January, Greggs CEO Roisin Currie said there was “no doubt” weight-loss drugs had led to people looking for “smaller portions”, affecting the business’s bottom line.
To accommodate these changing preferences, the group said its innovation pipeline “reflected emerging dietary trends with the launch of turmeric and ginger shots, two protein shakes and an egg pot, broadening choice for customers looking for quick, healthy, high-protein options”.
It comes as the food-to-go retailer has unveiled the progress made against its sustainability targets, with the business confirming that in 2025, it maintained 40% of all new products as healthier choices.
Elsewhere in the business, the bakery chain opened 45 new Greggs Outlet shops, which provide affordable food in areas needed most, and supported more than 1,000 school breakfast clubs, feeding over 79,500 children every school day.
It has also reduced food waste by 40% against its 2018 baseline and increased the proportion of unsold food redistributed to 45%.
Greggs will now introduce a ‘Fighting Food Waste’ performance metric to its operational KPIs and will continue to open Greggs Outlets in line with its plan.
In other areas, Greggs opened two new Eco-shops in the year, fitted with a range of sustainability initiatives including low-energy light fittings, daylight harvesting technology, solar panels, a rainwater harvesting unit, and heat pump air conditioning. Greggs has now applied successful elements of these shops to over 34% of its estate.
“I am very proud of what we have achieved since we created The Greggs Pledge, shining a spotlight on the sustainability areas where we felt we could drive the most meaningful change and deliver a measurable benefit,” said Currie.
“The next iteration of The Greggs Pledge allows us to keep adapting to an ever-changing and more complex world. However, our commitment to make the world a better place remains the same, and we pledge to continue to make the most positive impact on our communities and continue doing good.”
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