TheRetailer_Summer_19

Changing the future of retail with data

JOSHUA REMI COMMERCIAL MANAGER, DATA INSIGHTS Valpak

AS RETAILERS LOOK TO PROFILE THE NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF PACKAGED FOOD, SOFTWARE IS MAKING THE PROCESS FASTER AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE. In recent years, the UK has seen a rapid shift towards healthier eating. Lower salt and sugar levels have become standard, and what were once niche diets, such as gluten-free or vegan, have reached the mainstream. Consumers are also better informed, and more fastidious about what is in the food they eat. As this trend grows, the expectation is that the population will become healthier. This is not only good for us as individuals but also has a positive impact on the health service. Retailers are uniquely-placed to contribute to – or even drive – change. Added to this, legislative change may be on the horizon. In 2018, the government set out its approach to tackle child obesity in Childhood Obesity, A Plan for Action . The plan included a commitment to review the existing UK Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) and develop and test options for a new model that reflects current UK dietary recommendations. The NPM was originally developed to restrict television advertising for foods which were seen to be unhealthy. The scope of the 2018 review focused on updating the model to reflect current UK dietary recommendations, in particular those for free sugars and fibre. The approach also considered opportunities for changes to other nutrients and food components included in the original NPM. The government published a consultation on the changes but, while the responses have been published, new policy has not yet been decided.

For the retail market, awareness of the levels of potentially unhealthy ingredients in products is critical. Many retailers have already taken steps independently to promote healthier lifestyles, and the demand will undoubtedly become more widespread. For many, the first step is to re-examine products and find out exactly what is in them. This may sound straight forward, but with thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of items on the shelves, and new products being developed, monitoring is a vast job. For suppliers, new requirements will add to the already challenging demands placed on them for information, while the cost of data collection can run into tens of thousands of pounds. Current legislation requires goods to be labelled with energy value, levels of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, salt and protein. This gives consumers a good idea of the basics. However, for companies selling through markets such as hospital retail outlets, where health and nutrition are even more closely linked, the parameters are wider. Retailers might be asked to report on additional areas such as sodium and fibre. Australia has already taken the process a step further, introducing a Health Star Rating that rates the overall nutritional profile of packaged food and assigns it a rating from half a star (low) to five stars (the healthiest option). The star system is voluntary, and runs alongside the nutritional information panel which reports on the contents of the product. The star system is designed to give a faster, easier way to compare particular products and make healthy choices.

Australia’s Health Star Rating was developed by national and local government, in collaboration with industry, public health and consumer groups.

44 | summer 2019 | the retailer