UK food manufacturers slash salt and sugar in major reformulation drive

Food manufacturers across the UK have cut salt and sugar in their products by nearly a third in the past decade, marking a significant achievement in UK food reformulation efforts to improve public health amid rising concerns over diet-related illnesses.

New data from Kantar Worldpanel, published in the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) Shaping a Healthier Future Through Food and Drink report, reveals that FDF members have reduced salt by 31 percent, sugar by 30 percent and calories by 24 percent across their product ranges compared to 10 years ago.

The report states that FDF members, who produce around a quarter of all food and drink sold in the UK, invested £180 million in 2024 alone to reformulate recipes, launch healthier products and adjust portion sizes to meet evolving consumer demands.

Reformulation in action

According to the FDF report, over half of Dolmio and Ben’s Original ready meals now deliver at least one portion of vegetables, making it easier for consumers to eat well on the go. Bird’s Eye’s Steamfresh range has already added 3.5 million extra servings of vegetables to UK meals since its launch. Meanwhile, PepsiCo invested £13 million to cut salt and fat in Doritos by 18 percent and 14 percent respectively, using new recipes and upgraded cooking technology to improve nutritional content without compromising taste.

To make a reduced fat, sugar or calorie claim, a product must contain at least 30 percent less fat, sugar or calories compared to similar products on the market.

With only 9 percent of adults meeting the recommended 30g daily fibre intake, the FDF’s Action on Fibre campaign is helping bridge the gap. Participating brands delivered 118 million fibre-rich servings in 2024 alone and 1.5 billion servings since the initiative began in 2021, through recipe changes and the launch of new high-fibre products.

Amy Glass, Head of Diet & Health Policy at the FDF, said: “We recognise more needs to be done and are committed to driving further progress. We look forward to engaging with government to shape a healthier future as part of the food strategy.”

Call for bold policy and SME support

Despite strong industry momentum, 41 percent of food and drink manufacturers report cutting back investment due to rising costs and regulatory pressures. The FDF is urging government to take coordinated action, introducing mandatory reporting on healthier product sales, aligning health policies across all sectors and increasing access to R&D tax credits, grants and capital allowances.

It is also calling for a UK-wide rollout of Scotland’s Reformulation for Health programme to help SMEs innovate. A fund of just £4 million, the FDF argues, could offer transformational support and create a UK-wide network of reformulation expertise.

FDF chief executive Karen Betts said:

Food and drink manufacturers are playing a quiet but vital role in helping people achieve balanced diets amid the pressures of busy lives. Companies have made major progress in slashing the calories, salt and sugar in everyday food and drink – making the food people love better for them, alongside hugely expanding the range of healthy options. 

But tackling poor diets and lifestyles is a complex issue and needs a more joined-up approach. We’re calling on the government today to work in a more structured partnership with the entire food industry to deliver change. It has a clear opportunity to do this in its upcoming Food Strategy, where we hope to see health policies that support industry to go further, and are consistent across existing regulation and across all parts of the sector.

Rethinking this challenge, with holistic and coordinated action, will help us truly move the needle on this critical health challenge.”

Toolkit to support reformulation

For manufacturers working towards reformulating their products, the FDF has developed a comprehensive Reformulation Toolkit, a free online resource offering guides, webinars, supplier databases and research to support healthier innovation and ongoing UK food reformulation across the sector.

If you want to learn more about reformulation and innovation in the food industry, register for New Food’s upcoming editorial webinar, Innovation in Ingredients for Confectionery and Snacks, at 3pm BST on 25 June. Join our panel of experts, including Amy Jackson (Tate & Lyle), Louise Leduc (Biospringer) and Sharon Morey (Campden BRI), as they share practical, actionable insights to help you navigate reformulation and HFSS compliance with confidence.