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Across EMEA, reviews of regulations on food and drink products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) are responding to public health initiatives and changing consumer expectations. Here, Muserref Karadayı, business manager - Healthful Solutions EMEA at Ingredion, discusses how food and drink brands can access support to create better-tasting products while responding to changing regulations.

It’s a fine balance: the relationship between consumer expectation and nutrition. And if achieving the perfect mix of taste and nourishment isn’t challenging enough, the added complexities of evolving food and beverage policies have the potential to put brands under further pressure.

Overcoming what may feel like obstacles in the drive to create an enjoyable food and drink experience could actually be the chance the industry needs to put clean labelling at the forefront of consumer consciousness, meeting the public’s desire for easier and more affordable access to great-tasting, healthier products.

Making fads a fiction

While food and drink trends can come and go, supporting healthier lifestyles and stronger futures is a key goal for many brands responding to an evolving regulatory landscape across the EMEA region. The common objective is the development of products that consistently meet wider HFSS (high in fat, sugar and salt) legislation and avoid added sugar levies.

Actions by countries including the UK, South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia support industry-led solutions, encouraging reformulation to deliver on product appeal and compliance. But support for brands navigating these strategies across the EMEA region is available.

Advances in ingredient technology are improving affordability and access, enabling reformulation strategies that support both nutrition goals and business performance.

Regulatory momentum accelerating reformulation and transparency

Regulation is being reviewed across EMEA. The UK’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) is undergoing reform to reduce the sugar threshold at which the tax applies to beverages and expand it to include milk-based products such as pre-packaged cold coffees and milkshakes. Furthermore, new restrictions on the advertisement, promotion and placement of HFSS products in the media and in-store have also come into effect.

Nutrient profiling models are used to determine which foods are considered to fall into the ‘HFSS’ category, and front-of-pack nutrient labels are also being adopted, leading to a shift towards reformulation with a focus on nutrient profile, reduced sugar and the use of whole foods. In Saudi Arabia, restaurants and takeaways must now display comprehensive nutritional details on their menus, and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) moved to implement a tiered tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Additionally, the rules prioritise nutritional labels for pre-packed food and drink and discourage the consumption of SSBs in schools.

Like the UK, South Africa introduced a sugar-based tax on SSBs in 2018. More recently, concerns about the marketing of HFSS products in schools have been raised, and in Morocco, the nutritional quality of packaged foods is under scrutiny.

The World Health Organization (WHO), in its Strategy for Nutrition in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, includes reducing the intake of saturated fat, sugars, salt and trans-fat in its actions for building sustainable, resilient food systems for healthy diets. It calls for policies that may include taxes and subsidies to prompt the production and consumption of healthier foods and drinks.

Reformulation expertise

It’s clear that research and development is a priority role within the food and beverage industry. Simplifying ingredient choices can help make more desirable options the default, supporting better outcomes through everyday decisions.

Central to the challenge is reducing sugar, including added sugars and naturally occurring sugars used to sweeten foods. While our research shows consumers are committed to reducing sugar in their diet, taste is still crucially important. Using sweeteners in reformulation is one solution which also addresses the taste profile and characteristics of sugar in food and drink.

Sugar provides qualities other than sweetness, such as texture and browning, which need to be considered. Exploring the use of sweeteners opens up the option of including plant-based calorie free in use alternatives such as stevia sweeteners. These alternatives to sugar provide a sweet taste, derived from the stevia rebaudiana plant.

Confidence in change

Labelling transparency builds brand trust, while plant-based sweeteners such as stevia help deliver a sugar-like taste with less sugar. Together, these approaches support evolving consumer expectations and help brands meet regulatory requirements.

Partnering with an ingredient solutions expert offers access to a huge range of resources beyond ingredient solutions. This includes consumer research, clean labelling expertise, technical guidance and recipe expertise.

As HFSS regulations continue to evolve, innovative reformulation strategies to align with consumer priorities can be seen as influencing rather than reacting to policy reviews.