As food regulations become more transparent, high-fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods have become increasingly popular. As food companies navigate changing consumer expectations and behaviors, HFSS classifications are becoming an increasingly important factor in product reformulations. The food industry has long been dominated by HFSS foods, but new laws are forcing companies to change or develop in order to follow healthier trends.
The USDA’s strong stance on limiting added sugar in school meals caused a significant impact on the market. According to the report, by the fall of 2027, packaged foods like yogurt, milk, and dry cereal would have zero or minimal sugar content, and added sugar would make up no more than 10% of weekly caloric intake. Over 50 countries around the world have imposed sugar taxes on soft drinks and foods (including Germany, Australia, India, Spain, France, and Mexico) in order to reduce sugar consumption to some extent. The low sugar attribute has become extremely important in the yogurt segment, with more than one in every ten launches featuring no sugar claims, which is up by 4% since 2018.
After the sugar reduction trend, the focus shifted to reducing salt content in food products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new voluntary goals to reduce sodium in processed and packaged foods; the new target is to reduce the salt intake by about 2,750 mg per day, and these cover 163 food categories. Major suppliers of salt substitutes, such as Cargill (potassium chloride) and Tate & Lyle (Soda-Lo® Salt Microspheres), may see increased demand. This market dynamic may also benefit the sales of start-up salt substitute suppliers such as NuTek Natural Ingredients and BetterSalt, which specialize in potassium-based salt substitutes.
In addition to salt substitutes, flavor enhancers may emerge as a new market trend. These ingredients improve food flavor without depending entirely on sodium. This lowers the total salt content while preserving flavor. In the flavor enhancer category, Givaudan has continued to innovate by producing ingredients such as NaNino+, a plant-derived product that acts as a nitrite in processed meats. Symrise AG and Sensient Technologies are two other companies that are helping to develop new trends, such as combined sweet spicy flavors like mango habanero and chili pineapple.
Fat reduction has been a trend in the industry for decades, but it has recently gained traction. The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages food manufacturers to remove iTFA from their products and advises that the amount of iTFA in fats or oils should not exceed two grams per 100 grams. WHO proposes a new goal of virtually eliminating ITFA globally by 2025, focusing on best practice policies in countries that account for 90% of the global ITFA burden and 70% within regions. Since the WHO updated its fat and sweetener guidelines, companies have accelerated their claims and innovations. Cargill announced that all of its fats and oils now meet the WHO recommended limits for ITFA. Global supplier Cargill is the first to guarantee that every edible oil product in its portfolio satisfies these requirements. In order to create plant-based meat substitutes, Loryma has created three low-calorie, wheat-based fat substitutes.
Nestlé has created a new technique that can reduce milk powder fat by up to 60% without sacrificing the flavor, texture, or creaminess of the milk. Further innovations are being developed by Nestlé to reduce added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats in its products while maintaining flavor and texture. Additionally, PepsiCo is buying Siete Foods for their healthier food items and reformulated Doritos that are HFSS compliant. They also introduced non-HFSS Wotsits and Monster Munch, a healthy snack option. The Pepsico brand Sensations launched two varieties of HFSS-compliant chips.
Cadbury added three new non-HFSS bars to their Dairy Milk Fruitier and Nuttier line in addition to their non-HFSS Brunch Light. Mondelez, the company that owns Cadbury, is also bringing more non-HFSS-compliant snacks to the UK market. Quaker has also announced that most of their products will no longer be high in HFSS.
The HFSS trend is driving both established and emerging food companies to launch entire HFSS-free product lines, increasing demand for ingredients that can support healthier profiles. Developments in this area could significantly change the conventional demand for foods high in fat and sugar. It would be interesting to see whether price parity is adopted and whether these choices become more well-liked and available to the masses.
