The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) are calling on suppliers from across the industry to help identify sugar alternatives in a bid to improve public health.
The organisations are looking for ingredients that will help sugar reduction and product reformulation, while enabling companies to maintain quality, taste, and shelf life.
“Improving the composition of products is a top priority for retailers," said Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, deputy director of food policy at BRC.
"A lot of work is currently underway to reduce sugar. We are putting a call out for any information on technical solutions and alternatives to sugar, to help retailers deliver tasty but more wholesome products."
Collaborative Initiative
The BRC and the FDF will use this information to create a list for manufacturers and retailers to support sugar reduction efforts. This follows Public Health England's guidelines on sugar reduction, and the UK government's plan to reduce sugar by 20%.
Kate Halliwell, nutrition and health manager at the FDF said that the organisation is committed to playing its part in the fight against obesity.
"The food and drink industry has been on a positive journey for a number of years and this joint initiative with the BRC is the latest stage in the journey," she said.
"We are confident this initiative will go a long way in supporting retailers and manufacturers in their sugar reduction efforts, leading to significant improvements in public health.”
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
