Food & drink manufacturers should prepare for increased scrutiny over nutritive claims following growing commitments from retailers to move towards selling healthier products.
It follows a growing trend being seen in major UK retailers to support the fight against rising obesity levels. With retailers looking towards healthier options, food safety certification experts Lloyd’s Register is warning food manufacturers that they should prepare for added pressure to rethink how they approach nutritive and functional claims in their products.
Kimberly Carey Coffin, global technical director at Lloyd’s Register, said: “Governments and consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with health and nutrition, due to rising statistics around obesity and diabetes across the world. We can therefore expect to see more retailers commit to selling healthier foods, and manufacturers must be prepared to adapt.
“As part of this, manufacturers will need to meet the challenge to prioritise nutrients and potential health benefits in future product development. However, they must be alert and ensure that any nutritive or functional claims, such as lowering cholesterol or boosting immunity, can be substantiated. If processes for evidence-based validation of claims are not in place, brand reputation may be at risk.”
Recent research from Lloyd’s Register highlighted that food issues impact brand trust, with one in five UK shoppers having changed brands following reports of a food safety incident or product recall.
Kimberly added: “Consumers are becoming increasingly savvy about their dietary decisions, selecting foods that deliver health and wellbeing, and it is reasonable to assume that scrutiny will grow in the area of nutritive and functional claims. Manufacturers must do all they can to ensure that healthy alternatives are authentic and can be substantiated.”
NAM Implications:
- Key is the degree of consumer appetite for healthier food…
- …and not forgetting the potential impact of consumers’ ability to ‘tell a friend’.
- ‘Please me and I tell one friend…
- …disappoint me and 10 friends will hear of my displeasure…’
- ‘And with the help of social media, multiply my capabilities…
- …a hundred or even a thousand-fold…’
