Reformulation that has seen salt, sugar and calories slashed across hundreds of food products will be money down the drain if the government presses ahead with a new nutrient profiling model, food bosses have warned.
With a consultation on the government’s plans for what products are classified as HFSS due to end next week, a report shows that products that have been made healthier thanks to tens of millions of pounds in reformulation will be taken off the shelves if it goes ahead.
Today new research, commissioned by FDF members, shows that they contribute 18% less salt, 19% less sugar and 17% fewer calories than they did in 2021.
The FDF said its data showed since then the NPM score of FDF members’ products had improved by 13%.
A government consultation was launched in March over plans to switch to the updated NPM, which was first proposed by government health experts in 2018. However, it was shelved by the previous government because of the huge economic impact it would have on the industry.
The government has now said it plans to use the new model to underpin both the junk food advertising ban that came into force on television and online in January, as well as the promotions restrictions that came into force in 2022.
However, the move is facing a furious backlash with consultation responses from suppliers, retailers and a raft of industry trade bodies all calling for it to be axed or postponed, despite health campaign groups urging the government to push ahead.
The federation is urging ministers to backtrack on the plans and will present evidence to the consultation, claiming that it will lead to a major exodus from the aisles and from daytime TV screens, of products that have been made healthier.
Instead it is urging ministers to push ahead with moves for mandatory reporting of healthier food sales data across the food sector. Government proposals, which were due to be published in the spring, have been delayed.
The FDF, which originally opposed the plans but swung behind them last year after calls for mandatory reporting were led by Tesco and then other supermarkets, said instead of penalising companies that have spent fortunes on reformulation, it would encourage them to develop more healthier options.
It urged ministers to also extend the reporting to the hospitality sector.
The FDF raised the examples of major brands that have slashed sugar, salt and calories from their products. Kellogg’s, since 2024, has cut the total sugars in its classic All-Bran cereal by 17%.
Danone UK & Ireland has reduced sugar across its Core and Triple Action Actimel ranges to by 9%, with all Actimel products now containing less than 10g sugar per 100g.
Meanwhile, in 2022 Premier Foods launched Mr Kipling Delicious & Light, the first full range of cakes to meet government’s healthier eating guidelines
Products such as Bramley Apple Pies, Bramley Apple & Blackcurrant Pies, Angel Slices and Chocolate Slices contain 30% less sugar, lower fat and salt, real fruit, and up to 10 times more fibre.
The government’s new model shifts from an NPM based on total sugars to free sugars. It would introduce a lower threshold for free sugars intake based around the pivotal ruling by SACN in 2015 that free sugars should make up no more than 5% of energy intake.
It will cover free sugars naturally present in syrups, honey, and unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, purées and pastes.
The DHSC has said it hopes to rope in more desserts and foods that parents mistakenly thought of as healthier options, including sweetened breakfast cereals and fruit-flavoured yoghurts that were being marketed to children.
FDF chief scientific officer Kate Halliwell said: “Food and drink manufacturers have invested hundreds of millions of pounds over many years in changing products to make them healthier as well as appealing to shoppers.
“Now we need government support to take it to the next level. Maintaining a stable regulatory environment will give businesses the confidence they need to keep making investments in the development of healthier products.”
The Grocer Health Summit 2026 is helping the industry turn healthy eating insight into action. Covering everything from regulation to reformulation and science to strategy, the one-day conference will be taking place on Tuesday 15 September 2026 at the QEII Centre in London. Visit thegrocerhealthsummit.co.uk to book your tickets and find out more.
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