The company behind McVitie’s, GODIVA and Ülker has pledged to double the volume of products it sells with lower levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat, and higher levels of nutrients such as fibre and protein, by 2030.
Snacking giant, pladis, said it would achieve the target by improving existing recipes without compromising taste, launching new products and expanding successful ranges into more markets.
The move comes as consumers increasingly seek snacks that fit their lifestyle and wellbeing goals without sacrificing taste and enjoyment. pladis believes the move will provide greater choice across its portfolio in response to those changing expectations.
Dr Jennifer Moss, Chief R&D Officer at pladis, said: “People don’t buy biscuits and chocolate because they’re looking for a lecture on nutrition – they buy them because they enjoy them. Great taste will always come first.
“What is changing is that consumers increasingly want more choice. They want products that fit their lifestyles and wellbeing goals, but they still expect the same great taste.
“We believe the brands that succeed in the future will be the ones that can deliver both. That’s why we’re committed to giving consumers more options while continuing to provide the enjoyment that has always been at the heart of our brands.”
To support the target, pladis has developed a new global nutrition framework that will guide how products are developed, reformulated and marketed across its portfolio.
Built by the company’s scientists, the framework draws on internationally recognised nutrition systems, including France’s Nutri-Score, Australia’s Health Star Rating and the UK’s Nutrient Profile Model (HFSS).
The framework is applied across all pladis products and takes a balanced view of nutrition. It assesses both nutrients consumers are encouraged to have more of, such as fibre and protein, and nutrients many are looking to reduce, including salt, sugar and saturated fat.
Today, products identified by the framework as offering a better nutritional balance account for around 10 per cent of pladis’ sales volume. The company has set an ambition to double that volume by 2030.
This move comes on the back of long-standing work by pladis to evolve its portfolio. The company has already removed 676 tonnes of sugar from recipes in the UK – the equivalent of around 169 million teaspoons. In the Netherlands, it has revamped its Sultana fruit biscuits by reducing sugar and salt and increasing fibre. Reformulation efforts over the past decade have also seen Ülker remove 549 tonnes of fat from its products alongside reducing sugar and salt.
This pledge forms part of Happy People, Happy Planet, pladis’ newly launched global sustainability strategy.
pladis employs around 16,000 people and sells products in more than 110 countries.
