Food & Health Alliance

The Scottish Government and health promoters have of course been pushing this message for a long time and industry has also stepped up to the plate to support government to drive change and improve public health.

At the start of September the Scottish Food and Drink Federation (SFDF) set up a one-year pilot aimed at helping food producers from bakers to manufacturers of meat and dairy products to reduce levels of salt, fat and sugar in their products and so offer customers a healthier choice.

At the start of September the Scottish Food and Drink Federation (SFDF) set up a one-year pilot aimed at helping food producers from bakers to meat and dairy producers to reduce levels of salt, fat and sugar in their products and so offer customers a healthier choice.

Food and drink manufacturers have long been aware of their role in the public health agenda, says SFDF’s Industry Technical Manager Chris Peace, leading the way on food labelling, launching healthy versions of existing product lines and reformulating products to reduce their fat, salt and sugar content. Now he is hoping to help accelerate this process.

In his new job, Chris, who has worked in food manufacturing for the past 25 years, advises food and drink manufacturers on how they can reformulate their products to make them healthier. He provides up to 12 days’ free consultancy to those that take up the offer and his advice normally focuses on how to cut fat, salt or sugar or – in the case of foods with especially high calorie content – reduce the portion size.

The project is funded by the Scottish Government and is part of the government’s obesity route map strategy. Bodies involved include the government, FSA Scotland and industry. It also complements other initiatives in this field such as the Food Health and Innovation Service.

Product reformulation can be an extremely time and cost intensive process. Chris’ work concentrates on supporting small and medium-sized companies in Scotland that are less likely to have their own R&D departments to take reformulation forward. He is also targeting producers of premixed bakery ingredients and seasoning mixes for meat who in many cases supply hundreds of companies.

So far his work has focused on the bakery sector but he hopes over the coming months to extend this to meat, fish and dairy producers.

Most of those he visits have been very receptive to his message, but some inevitably take more persuading than others. “They might be a small family bakery that has been working with the same recipes for, say, 40 years and have never had to adjust them till now,” says Chris.

“I do find going around bakeries, for instance, there’s sometimes a need for interpretation, showing them how to make these reductions in salt or fat and then spending time with staff to ensure they have the necessary skills for the new process. But once I’ve gone through the cycle they will hopefully know what to do in the future.”

He also accepts that commercial pressures may make individual companies cautious about change as, ultimately, if consumers do not enjoy the taste of familiar food products they will quickly switch to other products.

Healthier products can also help to open up new markets. As Chris notes, the government’s advice on healthy eating underlines the importance of starchy carbohydrates such as bread. So reducing its fat and salt levels will make it a more attractive proposition.

Chris believes there is a real willingness among many producers to make these changes. “In the end they have all got their reputations to protect and I feel that eventually there will be a point where those that don’t reduce salt and fat and cut out sugar will be in the minority and customers will react accordingly.”

His new job, which is funded on a pilot basis until next September, has involved a steep learning curve. But, he says, “the bottom line is that I am offering companies technical support and advice free of charge, so why wouldn’t they want to take it up?”

Contact details: Kirsty Rimmer, SFDF, tel: 0131 222 8040, email Kirsty.Rimmer@sfdf.org.uk

More information: www.sfdf.org.uk