When it comes to nutrition, the "free from" movement has been all the rage for several years. No additives, no sugars, no meat, no GMOs, no pesticides, no packaging... It's no longer just about consuming "free from," it's actually about living more frugally: less sugar, salt, fat, fewer additives, less packaging, more upcycled ingredients...
Sobriety is no longer a fad, but a inspired in food that must concern all stakeholders in the agri-food chain. Let us now focus on the actions that urgently need to be taken to move towards this goal.
Nutritional sobriety: less is more!
Reducing nutritional sobriety to changes in consumer behavior would be a mistake. Several components can be cited to illustrate the transformation of our society towards a healthier, fairer, more sustainable, and therefore more moderate world.
These are major changes to product composition, packaging, and more broadly to our way of consuming and producing. Running through all these concepts is, of course, the environmental impact of our consumption as a key pillar of moderation.
The nutritional quality of products, at the heart of the fight for a more sober society
The impact of alimentation on health is today at the heart of the discussions. 81% of French people believe that they are ready to pay more for a beautiful and good product[1]The composition of products has become central for consumers and manufacturers.
- The hunt for additives:
83% of French people are willing to pay more for a product with fewer additives.1
Under the spotlight, additives represent a barrier to purchasing, probably linked to applications like Yuka.
Useful for processing, food preservation and organoleptic attributes (27 functional categories), their replacement is possible for some of them, such as colorings, but the consumer will have to change certain habits.
According to Jean Michel Lecerf of the Pasteur Institute in Lille in a 2020 interview with LSA, "consumers must understand that, without additives, products will likely be less tasty and have a shorter shelf life." Indeed, additives play an important role in obtaining the final product, although it is important to be aware that some are controversial.
The consumer is not educated enough: 79% of French people do not feel sufficiently informed on the subject.[1]
Nitrites, classified as probable carcinogens by the IARC, are well known to consumers for giving ham its pink color. Consumers are becoming aware of their impact on health and are looking for "nitrite-free" products. The charcuterie industry has understood this well: 17% of product references are nitrite-free, with growth of +40% between 2020 and 2021 [2].
The charcuterie sector is king in this area. For example, the Fleury Michon nitrite-free range is highlighted by a national poster campaign promoting nitrite-free ham.
Intermarché recently eliminated 140 additives deemed controversial, with a goal of removing two more by 2025. Teisserre, a brand well-known for its syrups, uses alternatives to colorings and sweeteners. Communication and education about additives remains important for consumers. Indeed, additives play a role in the final product. They are not all bad, but the question remains which ones have a negative impact on health, taking into account the concept of quantity...
- Salt, a more discreet fight?
According to the WHO, our salt consumption is twice as high to the recommendations. Manufacturers therefore have every interest in reducing salt in the composition, and consumers in looking at the salt content on product labels.
In the cereal sector, the Kellogg's group has also launched Special K cereals with a 20% reduction in salt. The salt problem is very present in the cereal sector. delicatessen, Herta aims to reduce the salt in the composition of its products by 30% by 2025. In bakery, salt is also an issue: a collective agreement was signed in March 2022 with the aim of respecting a maximum threshold of 1,5 g of salt per 100 g of bread.
- Sugar, public enemy number 1
Consumers are aware that sugar has health impacts. With very high expectations in the beverage category, 55% of consumers say they have reduced their consumption of juices and smoothies because of their sugar content, the #1 factor in beverage choice being the reduced sugar content [3]. However, awareness-raising work remains important to guide consumers through their choices. Removing sugar from a product and replacing it with ingredients like sweeteners is not necessarily better. These additives, which give products a sweetening power without being caloric, can lead to a increased risk of cancer, in the case of aspartame and acesulfame K.[4]
In February 2020, Carrefour removed more than 430 tons of sugar from around 100 products. Food manufacturers are also launching lower-sugar products. In 2022, Kellogg's launched Special K Granola cereals with a 30% reduction in sugar and a Nutriscore A rating.
Packaging, a major component of nutritional sobriety
Every year, around a hundred million pieces of plastic waste end up in the oceans.[5], mainly because of the food industry.[6] Nutritional sobriety also involves product packaging to reduce environmental impact. More sustainable packaging is available to consumers:
- Packaging edible: Cupffee offers 100% edible cookie coffee cups.
Packaging compostable: Herbaland uses 100% compostable packaging for its apple cider vinegar gummies.
- Packaging recyclable: Kit Kat highlights the manufacturing of packaging through the communication “I'm made with recycled plastic”.
- Packaging reusable: Les Bio Frères offers packaging made from recycled cardboard, with a natural cork lid and a removable label so that the jars can be reused.
- Packaging consignable: 88% of French people wanted a deposit system to be implemented in 2019.6 In 2022, Blédina launched returnable pots in the Paris region and in Brive-la-Gaillarde, promoted by the communication “I’m returnable, bring me back!”
- Du bulk:
Bulk turnover reaches 1,3 billion in France in 2020 with an annual growth of 8%[7], even though bulk sales have been slowed by the Covid-19 crisis. More and more stores are equipped for this solution, with consumer demand continuing to grow.
Consumer awareness, at the heart of the approach
Scoring systems influence consumers through their choices, with 64% of French people get their information from product packaging.[8] The scores then encourage manufacturers to ensure the nutritional quality of their products. Yuka, the NOVA classification to provide information on ultra-processing, Nutriscore, Planetscore, etc.: there are many scores. They are sometimes criticized, such as the Nutriscore based on a 100g portion, which generally does not classify fats well, for example, even though they are essential to our diet. This is why the scores require a educational support.
The pedagogy is very important to have all the keys in hand to understand what a balanced diet is and the ingredients that make up a product. The role of health professionals should also increase.
The underlying question is: Will consumers be willing to accept a more limited offering? Will they be willing to change their eating habits?
[1] Creatests. For Arlès Agroalimentaire. “French Consumer Perceptions of Food Additives.” France. 2022
[2] LSA. Ham and charcuterie: figures for 2021. 2022
[3] Food Navigator according to Britvic, Tracking health and wellness: the latest consumer trends in soft drinks. 2022
[4] INSERM, Consumption of sweeteners may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, 2022
[5] WWF: Plastic is no longer a luxury? 2021 Report
[6] United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2021
[7] Bulk Network, Bulk Market Review in 2020. 2021
[8] Opinion Way. For Alkemics: The French and the transparency of food products. France. 2019
— An article written by NUTRIKEO —