New research shows food and drink manufacturers have slashed salt and sugar in products by almost a third

New data from Kantar Worldpanel shows the result of years of investment made by food and drink manufacturers to slash salt, sugar, and calories from British diets. The Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) members’ products, which include the UK’s best-loved food and drink alongside entrepreneurial brands, now have around a third less salt (31%) and sugar (30%) and a quarter (24%) fewer calories compared to a decade ago¹.

The ‘Shaping a healthier future through food and drink’ report illustrates the wide variety of food and drink that manufacturers are producing to help people achieve more balanced and varied diets amid busy lifestyles. FDF’s members produce a quarter of all food and drink sold in the UK³, from the everyday staples found in kitchen cupboards, fridges and freezers, from oats, yoghurt, tins of beans and frozen vegetables, to ready meals, confectionary and new healthier snacks.

In 2024 alone, food and drink manufacturers invested around £180 million in healthier product innovation². This includes modifying recipes to reduce sugar, calories and salt, developing new healthier products and changing portion sizes. For example:

• Brands are helping make it easier for people to eat more servings of vegetables and grains. More than half of the Ben’s Original and Dolmio’s ready-to-eat meal range provides at least one portion of vegetables. Meanwhile, Bird’s Eye’s new ‘Steamfresh’ range has added over 3.5 million additional portions of vegetables to the nation’s plates since its launch under than a year ago.
• PepsiCo has transformed its Doritos products to reduce the amount of salt and fat by 18% and 14% respectively. This followed a £13 million investment in R&D and new machinery to make changes to the cooking process and recipe.

While food and drink manufacturers will continue to lead the way, FDF is calling for government to take bold, coordinated action across the whole food system to rethink how we support the shift to healthier diets, building on existing policies. This includes mandatory reporting on the sales of healthier and less healthy products across manufacturing, retail and hospitality. It also means taking a more consistent approach to health policy across the entire food chain, ensuring consumers have access to the same, clear information that helps them to make healthier choices, no matter where they’re eating.

Additionally, with 41% of food and drink manufacturers compelled to scale back investment as they grapple with rising production costs and regulatory pressures⁴, government must open more R&D funding and science support to the food sector to sustain investment in healthier products. This includes through bolstering existing R&D tax credits, grants and capital allowance schemes. We also call on UK Government to support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in developing healthier products by replicating Scottish Government’s successful ‘Reformulation for Health’ programme. A fund of as little as £4 million to offer this scheme across the UK would transform SMEs ability to engage in healthier product innovation by mitigating costs and creating a network of expertise and support.

Karen Betts, Chief Executive, The Food and Drink Federation, said: 

“Food and drink manufacturers are playing a quiet but vital role in helping people achieve balanced diets amid the pressures of busy lives. Companies have made major progress in slashing the calories, salt and sugar in everyday food and drink – making the food people love better for them, alongside hugely expanding the range of healthy options. 

“But tackling poor diets and lifestyles is a complex issue and needs a more joined-up approach. We’re calling on the government today to work in a more structured partnership with the entire food industry to deliver change. It has a clear opportunity to do this in its upcoming Food Strategy, where we hope to see health policies that support industry to go further, and are consistent across existing regulation and across all parts of the sector. Rethinking this challenge, with holistic and coordinated action, will help us truly move the needle on this critical health challenge.”

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Notes to Editors

1. Source: Data from Kantar’s Worldpanel for FDF member products in the GB Take Home Food & Drink market, sales weighted average nutrient changes from 2015 – 2024.
2. Source: Findings from the FDF State of Industry Survey, estimate that 50-60% of the industry’s R&D spend, or £167m – £200m, was dedicated to healthier product innovation in 2024.
3. Source: Based on members’ self-declared turnover and ONS data on turnover in the food and non-alcoholic manufacturing
4. Source: FDF Q12025 State of Industry report

About FDF 

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) gives a voice to the food and drink manufacturing industry – the UK’s largest manufacturing sector. We contribute over £37 billion to the country's economy, supporting half a million jobs and driving growth at home and abroad. For more information on the FDF and the industry we represent, download our manifesto here or visit www.fdf.org.uk.  

For further enquires please contact the FDF Press Office or contact 020 7420 7140.