trend Healthier products

Less sugar, salt and fat, but still tasty!

Health is playing an increasingly important role in the choices consumers make. The demand for products with less fat, sugar and salt is growing, as is the need for fewer ultra-processed foods and alcohol-free options. These changes are driven by greater awareness around health and wellness. The food industry is responding to this by adjusting recipes and offering healthier alternatives without compromising on taste. Product developers are continuously challenged to improve foods, where food choice logos such as Nutri-Score play an important role. As a result, products are continuously evaluated for taste, smell and texture to continue to meet consumer expectations.

Almost half of the population regularly pays attention to the nutritional values of the product when buying food and drinks, such as the amount of calories, fats, proteins, carbohydrates and salt.

Dutch people aged 65 or older made the healthiest food choices in 2023.

Source: cbs.nl

in 2023, new questions about nutrition will be included in the health survey. Adults eat healthier as they get older. People aged 65 and over chose unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks least often and ate healthy products most often, with a score of 7.5. 12 to 18 year olds most often ate unhealthy food, with a score of 5.9. These scores range from 0 to 10; a higher score indicates that the diet for this nutritional indicator is more in line with the advice of the nutrition center.

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Companies that make and sell food must improve the composition of processed products. It should contain less salt, saturated fat and calories. This is stated in the National Product Improvement Approach, which runs until 2030.

Source: Rijksoverheid.nl

The government strives for more healthy food. In 2024, only 2 out of 10 products will fit into a healthy diet of the Wheel of Five. So 8 out of 10 foods are not. That relationship must change.

Source: rijksoverheid.nl

Taste research plays a key role in the success and acceptance of healthier products. The taste experience is often the deciding factor in purchasing decisions. Regardless of the health benefits, consumers are less likely to make healthier choices when the taste, texture or smell is unpleasant. Taste research helps developers optimize their products without compromising sensory quality, making healthier alternatives more attractive to a wide audience.