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UK food manufacturers have significantly reduced salt, sugar, and calorie content in their products over the past decade, marking a major step forward in efforts to improve public health amid rising concerns over diet-related illnesses. According to new data from Kantar Worldpanel, published in the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) report *Shaping a Healthier Future Through Food and Drink*, members of the FDF have cut salt by 31 percent, sugar by 30 percent, and calories by 24 percent across their product ranges compared to ten years ago. These manufacturers account for about a quarter of all food and drink sales in the UK.
In 2024 alone, FDF members invested £180 million in reformulating recipes, launching healthier products, and adjusting portion sizes to better meet consumer demands. Examples of these efforts include more than half of Dolmio and Ben’s Original ready meals now containing at least one portion of vegetables, and Bird’s Eye’s Steamfresh range adding 3.5 million extra vegetable servings to UK meals since its launch. PepsiCo also invested £13 million to reduce salt and fat in Doritos by 18 and 14 percent respectively, using new recipes and cooking technologies that maintain taste.
Despite these improvements, only 9 percent of adults currently meet the recommended daily intake of 30 grams of fiber. The FDF’s Action on Fibre campaign has helped close this gap by delivering 118 million fiber-rich servings in 2024 alone, totaling 1.5 billion servings since 2021 through product reformulations and new launches.
Amy Glass, Head of Diet & Health Policy at the FDF, acknowledged that while progress has been made, more work is needed. She emphasized the organization’s commitment to further advances and expressed hope for government collaboration to shape a healthier future through upcoming food strategies.
However, rising costs and regulatory pressures have led 41 percent of food and drink manufacturers to reduce their investments. The FDF is urging the government to take stronger, coordinated action, including mandatory reporting on healthier product sales, policy alignment across sectors, and greater access to research and development tax credits, grants, and capital allowances. The group is also calling for the expansion of Scotland’s Reformulation for Health program across the UK to support innovation among small and medium-sized enterprises.
Karen Betts, FDF chief executive, said food and drink manufacturers have quietly but significantly contributed to helping consumers achieve balanced diets despite busy lifestyles. She called for a more unified approach from the government, saying, “We call on the government to work in partnership with industry through the upcoming Food Strategy to create consistent health policies that support further progress.” She added that tackling poor diets requires holistic and coordinated action to make meaningful changes.
To assist manufacturers in their reformulation efforts, the FDF has developed a free online Reformulation Toolkit, offering guides, webinars, supplier databases, and research to support healthier product innovation.
Additionally, New Food is hosting a webinar on June 25 featuring experts from Tate & Lyle, Biospringer, and Campden BRI, focusing on innovation in ingredients for confectionery and snacks and providing practical advice on reformulation and compliance with health regulations.
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