HFSS ban puts functional ingredients in the spotlight

It’s fair to say the country has seen its share of political instability in recent years. As a result, bits of legislation that might sound straightforward have become fraught with uncertainty, making it hard for businesses to plan for the future with any certainty.

The government’s ban on junk food advertising is an example of this. First proposed under the Theresa May Conservative administration in 2018 as part of a strategy to tackle childhood obesity, the rollout of the policy has been plagued by delays and changes in the cabinet since then. Now, after several rounds of consultations on its scope, the government has announced it will come into force on 1 October next year.

This means the food industry can begin planning in earnest – and there is a lot of work to do.

The ban prohibits paid advertisements of in-scope products from being shown on television before the 9pm watershed, and from being shown online at any point. For brands that rely heavily on these channels to maintain their share of voice, this could severely limit the ways they can engage with consumers. TV advertising has remained remarkably effective even during the ‘cord-cutting’ era – and it is only going to become more so as streaming services increasingly incorporate advertising into their pricing models.

The scope of the ban extends far beyond what most would consider ‘junk food’. It covers a wide range of snacks, baked goods, cereals, protein bars, and more, with 13 categories in all. This means the ban could signal a seismic shift in the food industry, with its impact affecting some of the biggest brands in the country.

So, how should food manufacturers respond?

The ban will only apply to foods that meet the high fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) definition under the nutrient profiling system. It scores products based on their energy, salt, fat, and sugar content, then subtracts points based on fruit, veg, nuts, fibre, and protein content. If a food product from one of the 13 target categories scores four points or more, or a beverage scores one point or more, they will be in the scope of the ban.

This makes functional ingredients and nutritional additives, so often supporting players in the food industry, into a headline act. As brands looking to maintain their presence on pre-watershed TV, and critically online, will aim to manufacture products with as low a score as possible, they will need to focus on sourcing functional ingredients that can add fibre and protein without adding extra saturated fats or salt.

This may require flexing existing supply chains or tapping into whole new ones. As a distributor, we have already experienced a marked increase in interest across our ingredient portfolio, as manufacturers look for functional ingredients that deliver the right flavour, texture, elasticity, or any other attribute to their recipes.

There is a huge variety of ingredients and additives that can boost the nutritional value of food and beverages, and a little added fibre or protein into a recipe could be the difference between maintaining that share of voice – or ceding it to a competitor.

Many functional ingredients are suitable for different applications. Some, such as Glac pre- and post-biotics, also enable brands to make certain nutritional and health claims, provided they are included in sufficient quantities. Others, such as Alvinesa grape polyphenols, can help improve shelf life or add antioxidant properties.

At a time of increased regulation, manufacturers can look beyond mere compliance, and use more functional ingredients to add real value to their recipes.