{"id":31184,"date":"2025-06-11T14:12:04","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T11:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/?p=31184"},"modified":"2025-06-11T14:12:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T11:12:04","slug":"produkty-zi-skorochenym-skladom-inhrediientiv-navishcho-vyrobnyky-tse-robliat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/2025\/06\/11\/produkty-zi-skorochenym-skladom-inhrediientiv-navishcho-vyrobnyky-tse-robliat\/","title":{"rendered":"Products with reduced ingredients. Why do manufacturers do this?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We can already see the impact of the trend on reducing the composition of ingredients in food products. <\/span><\/p>\n

Consumers are demanding clean labels, they are interested in the benefits and advantages they can get from consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n

Promoting the idea of reducing the composition focuses consumers on the amount of ingredients rather than the nutritional value.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is not always true to say that the fewer ingredients the better.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to people who suffer from allergies, fewer ingredients can be really beneficial. <\/span><\/p>\n

But is a single-ingredient corn flake, for example, really the best choice for the average consumer if it means losing iron, folic acid and vitamin B12?<\/span><\/p>\n

Supporting this trend puts the onus on producers to stop pushing people to take the easy way out, as this takes away from getting a nutritious diet.<\/span><\/p>\n

So why are food companies trying to reduce the number of ingredients?<\/span><\/p>\n

For Carrie Clayton, who is gluten, citrus and tomato free, shopping and cooking is a challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apart from her own food needs, her 10-year-old son does not eat dairy products or wheat.<\/span><\/p>\n

The family shops at several stores each week to find the best gluten-free options, prepares adapted meals such as jacket potatoes and pasta, and bakes cakes and cookies from scratch.<\/span><\/p>\n

When M&S launched its Only range in March with products containing six or fewer ingredients, Ms Clayton described it as a \"dream come true\".<\/span><\/p>\n

This was despite higher prices - their single-ingredient cornflakes cost \u00a32.50 for a 325g box, compared to 90p for the standard 500g.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"For normal shoppers, it seems like a lot, but for us with allergies, it's about right,\" says Mrs Clayton from Kent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"It's hard to find delicious things that we can all eat. If you're used to the luxury of standard cereal, you may not like the alternatives or understand the added value, but for those of us who need low-ingredient food, it's perfect.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Life could be about to get a whole lot easier for Ms Clayton. More and more retailers and food brands are following M&S's lead by offering more products with fewer ingredients, driven by concerns about ultra-processed foods (UPF).<\/span><\/p>\n

However, less processed foods are gaining popularity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew Hopkins, founder of IND!E, a platform that helps small food and drink brands get into major retailers, says he has seen a 40% increase in retailer requests for products with fewer ingredients over the past year. It is taking larger orders from Ocado, Selfridges and John Lewis, among others.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Retailers are responding to the growing consumer demand for simpler and more recognisable ingredient lists,\" says Harrogate's Mr Hopkins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feeling the need to offer a less processed product, plant-based foods brand THIS, which produces meat-free sausages, burgers, chicken and bacon, recently launched a new line of Super Superfoods.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is designed as a protein component of the dish and contains natural ingredients such as beans, seeds and mushrooms.<\/span><\/p>\n

THIS is also responding to surveys that show that shoppers avoid meat replacement products due to their processed nature and the presence of artificial additives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke Byrne, director of innovation and sustainability at THIS, is concerned about \"consumer confusion and hesitation\".<\/span><\/p>\n

\"We are aware that we are classified as UPF, but this has little bearing on whether our products are healthy because their nutritional properties are extremely good. Our products are high in protein, high in fibre, low in saturated fat and low in sugar,\" says London-based Mr Byrne.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"It was disappointing in many ways because it took the focus away from what is most important about food, which is the nutritional aspect.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

So has society been misled into thinking that all ultra-processed food is bad and all unprocessed food is good?<\/span><\/p>\n

Nutritionist Dr Laura Wyness thinks so, expressing disappointment that the M&S Only range \"puts hype before health\".<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Consumers may be looking for products with shorter ingredient lists, but excluding fortified nutrients is a step backwards for the foodservice industry. We should be encouraging more nutrient-dense foods in the diet and fortifying products such as plant-based milk and dairy alternatives, as well as breakfast cereals,\" says Dr Wyness, from Edinburgh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"This seems to be one of the cases where the customer is not always right, mainly because of the misinformation that influences their food choices.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Jibin says that the term UPF is not a useful indicator of whether something is healthy or unhealthy because the concept itself and the way it is explained to the public is flawed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr He notes that processed foods will remain an important part of the diet of a large and growing human population, as processing ensures food safety, extends shelf life and reduces waste.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Take tofu, for example. It's a great source of protein, low in fat and considered a healthy alternative to meat, especially red meat. It is also more environmentally friendly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"However, tofu can be seen as an unprocessed food, whereas red meat would be a processed food,\" says Dr He, who is Head of Research and a Chartered Nutrition Scientist at Teesside University. <\/span><\/p>\n

He has also worked with food manufacturers and food technology companies to improve processing techniques. He argues that tofu can fall into the category of ultra-processed foods if it contains certain additives.<\/span><\/p>\n

For food brands looking to create less processed products, Dr He advises that this can be done by simplifying the formulas of existing products and looking at new processing and packaging technologies that mean fewer ingredients can be used.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Many food products have extremely complex formulas, and the manufacturer may not fully understand the function of each listed ingredient in their formula.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"I would advise food manufacturers to carefully examine their recipes and determine which ingredients are absolutely necessary and which they can do without,\" Dr He recommends.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The latest food processing technologies can also help produce foods with higher nutrient content and longer shelf life without significantly altering the physical structure and chemical composition of the food.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr He also expects an increase in marketing to promote the benefits of less processed foods, as well as justify their higher prices.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, the premium cereal brand 3Bears recently launched its own low-ingredient breakfast range in partnership with footballer Harry Kane. Mr Kane is involved in product promotion and is also a shareholder in the company.<\/span><\/p>\n

3Bears' cinnamon oat loops, which contain seven ingredients, cost \u00a33.99 for 250g. In comparison, M&S's Only multigrain rings, which contain five ingredients, cost \u00a32.50 for 300 grams, while Waitrose's Essential multigrain rings cost \u00a31.25 for 375 grams and contain 22 ingredients.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"With our oatcakes, it was really hard to get the texture and crunch right because we only wanted to use three ingredients and oats are very different in processing to other grains. Because the cost of creating products with fewer ingredients is higher and the process is more complex, the prices reflect this,\" explains Caroline Nicholls, co-founder of 3Bears.<\/span><\/p>\n

For some foods, the UPF debate seems to be less problematic.<\/span><\/p>\n

The confectionery market in the UK continues to grow steadily and is worth around \u00a314.8bn, despite the high share of UPF products.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Little Moons scoop ice cream brand may list more than 30 ingredients for some of its flavours, but it now exports from the UK to 35 countries, and supermarkets have copied it with private-label versions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ross Farquhar, the company's director of marketing, innovation and sustainability, is confident that treat brands will be able to weather the UPF storm, so he is in no hurry to cut Little Moon's ingredient list.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The reality of a category like ice cream is that certain ingredients, such as emulsifiers and stabilisers, are needed to keep the product stable in the food supply chain. So, unless we all start making ice cream at home on a regular basis, ready-made ice cream still has a role to play,\" says London-based Mr Farquhar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"I'm sure M&S 'Only' chocolate bars are delicious, but they appeal to a very specific audience, and I doubt that the big confectionery brands will be willing to compromise on the core features of the product that consumers love.\"
\nSource: <\/span>https:\/\/www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org\/c\/s\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/creqge8xgx4o.amp<\/a><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We can already see the impact of the trend on reducing the composition of ingredients in food products. Consumers are demanding \"clean\"<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bez-katehorii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31184"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31187,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31184\/revisions\/31187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffdu.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}