Pladis is launching a reformulation strategy to try to capture demand for HFSS and functional snack products.
The London-headquartered manufacturer of McVitie’s biscuits and Godiva chocolates has “pledged” to double volumes of products with “lower levels” of sugar, salt and saturated fat by 2030.
Included in the global initiative with the same target and timeframe are protein and fibre, all of which will be supported by “improving existing recipes”, new product launches and “expanding successful ranges into more markets”.
To back the programme, Pladis has developed what it describes as a “new global nutrition framework”, which will govern how products are developed, reformulated and marketed.
As a guide, the Jacob’s crackers and Ülker confectionery brand owner has used the Nutri-Score nutrition system first adopted in France and employed in select European countries, along with Australia’s Health Star Rating and the Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) in the UK.
NPM was developed by UK authorities to score products in terms of health credentials and is used by the Ofcom regulator to enforce HFSS rules.
“The framework is applied across all Pladis products and takes a balanced view of nutrition,” the company said in a statement today (28 July).
“It assesses both nutrients consumers are encouraged to have more of, such as fibre and protein, and nutrients many are looking to reduce, including salt, sugar and saturated fat.”
Pladis added 10% of its sales volumes fall within the framework as it seeks to double the proportion by the end of the decade.
A Pladis spokesperson confirmed with Just Food that the target uses 2023 as a baseline, adding the initiative applies to all 110 countries in which it operates.
The nutrition framework is an internal project and is not intended as a consumer-facing or front-of-pack plan and so its does not require regulatory approval, the spokesperson confirmed.
Dr Jennifer Moss, the chief R&D officer at Pladis, said: “People don't buy biscuits and chocolate because they're looking for a lecture on nutrition - they buy them because they enjoy them.
“What is changing is that consumers increasingly want more choice. They want products that fit their lifestyles and wellbeing goals. We believe the brands that succeed in the future will be the ones that can deliver both.”
Pladis, which is owned by Yıldız Holding in Türkiye controlled by the Ülker family, said it has already made some strides in HFSS reformulation.
It said, without specifying a timeframe, that Pladis has removed 676 tonnes of sugar from recipes in the UK, while the company has reduced salt and sugar in its Sultana biscuits in the Netherlands but has added fibre.
For the Ülker brand, it has taken out 549 tonnes of fat over the past decade and also cut the sugar and salt content.
