Food for thought

In recent years, a shift in consumer demand away from over-processed, unhealthy foods high in saturated fats, sugar and salt to healthier, more nutritional food has become a priority for the food industry. Unilever is at the forefront of this movement, and is supportive of the role the food industry must play in combating the widespread problem of obesity in Europe where, according to the WHO, is it already responsible for 2-8 percent of health costs and 10-13 per of deaths in different parts of the region. Early on, the company recognised how obesity has become a serious public health concern that affects the quality of life of a wide range of people, and has since taken many measures to help tackle the worrying shift in lifestyle that has been fundamental to the increase in this worrying trend.

Dick Toet is a veteran of the food industry, having worked at many food manufacturers, including Nestle, before arriving at Unilever in 2003. Having evolved from a regulatory advisor at the company to his current role as Vice President of External Affairs for Foods, he’s in a perfect position to comment on how the company has had to adapt to a changing market.

Product reformulation

He explains how the company has been proactive in its research in order to ensure its food is nutritionally balanced, and has made great strides in ensuring that all its products reach a healthy standard. “Some years ago the company adopted a vitality concept for all its products, which internally meant that we have evaluated our whole portfolio through a nutrition enhancement programme,” he says. “This has resulted in the reformulation of considerable parts of our products. All have been evaluated and, if necessary, reformulated. The programme we have developed is applicable to all foods and is global. It is based on national and international dietary guidelines. We have also developed benchmarks for the areas of concern that are defined by the WHO and other national and international authorities.”

Indeed, over the last few years Unilever has reduced the salt levels in their soups (Knorr) and sauces (Chicken Tonight, Ragu, Colman’s), beginning in 2003 when levels were reduced by 10 percent. Similar action has also been taken to reduce sugar and trans fatty acids. The company offers a choice of sugar-reduced or sugar-free products, an example of which is an unsweetened version of Lipton Iced Tea launched in 2004. In the 1990s the company removed nearly all the trans fat from their margarines and they are also being progressively taken out of other products including from ranges such as the Chicken Tonight sauces.

Traceability

Traceability throughout the food chain and the manufacturing process is also a huge issue in the industry. Unilever have ensured that they already have extensive traceability protocols for their products. “They work very well and we are quite satisfied with the way our traceability protocols are working. Of course we never forget that the food industry is quite complex, as are supply chains,” says Toet. “The key thing to get right is to ensure the systems we are applying can communicate with our suppliers systems. Suppliers should know exactly what we want. In a way, this allows them to communicate with their suppliers. As a result, there will be a clear communication line between the systems.”

One way that Unilever manages the safety and stability of its products is by applying the philosophy of ‘Safety by Design’, which it says spans the research-to-retail continuum. Toet explains that by using this approach, any problems with a particular ingredient can be pinpointed quickly and efficiently. “If you have a composed product, say a chilled meal, then this approach will go into all the individual components to see what the challenges are for each individual ingredient. Then it will go down into the various channels to eliminate what are considered the critical points.”

“By designing the product you are making sure you have thought about all the aspects that could have an impact on the safety of that final product. So really, it is a holistic view of ingredients. We look at all the ingredients and balance them against each other to get the best possible outcome.”

Looking at every ingredient within the product is obviously a huge challenge, but Unilever achieves this by using some of the best technologies available. Fulfilling this objective is part of the quality management process that the company has in place, a system that is based on the ISO 9000 methodology. “We have good manufacturing practices for all our production processes and they are applied throughout,” says Toet.

Labelling

The tightening of labelling laws is another challenging area for the food industry, an industry already besieged with complex mass of rules and regulations. “Labelling has an enormous impact on what we are doing because it involves a whole heap of things,” stresses Toet. “One of the problems we are facing with labelling laws is that there are many and all are not following the same logic. Therefore, we are very much in support of an initiative that was started by the Dutch government, and supported by the UK government, who are looking into a simplification of the overall labelling rules for food products to bring them more in-line. On the one hand they are trying to limit the labelling regulation to only show the really relevant information needed by the consumer on the back of food. They also want to promote other systems, for instance, barcodes that make the information available, websites, in-store information, etc. So really using more tools rather than just labels.”

Often consumers can be left confused and occasionally misled about what a product actually contains, therefore the ultimate aim is to ensure the right information about a product reaches the consumer in a clear and concise way. Simplification of information should therefore be a goal to ensure that consumers are able to make well-informed food choices. “Let’s be rational,” encourages Toet. “Imagine you are at a supermarket and you pick up a handful of products. The amount of information on a pack is amazing and, often, much of the information isn’t what the consumer needs to know immediately.”

According to Toet, it is crucial for consumers to be able to find out information from other sources rather than simply through labelling. “I think in general terms we are beyond the point that more information on the back will be helpful. It may, in many cases, be counterproductive. We need to use all the communications we have, not just labelling. It is important to make it clear to the consumer where to get more information if they want it.”

This whole issue can be said to tie in with responsible marketing and the advertising of foods and beverages, and is an area being considered with a drive for healthy, more nutritious food. Toet explains the work that is being done in this area and considers the current issues surrounding sensible marketing and advertising including the numerous ongoing initiatives. “At the European level we have the Diet and Health Roundtable. An element of this is marketing and advertising with the industry working on a self-regulatory system of marketing and advertising principles including marketing and advertising to children. You see the same thing repeated on a national level in similar constructions where marketing and advertising principles are being formulated.

“At an international level, the International Chamber of Commerce has issued advertising and marketing principles. The World Federation for Advertising is working on it so there are lots of initiatives going on. It is obvious that this is one of the principle issues of the health and diet debate at this moment.”

Looking to the future, Toet is certain that diet and health, marketing and advertising, and also the important issue of labelling will continue to be at the top of the industry’s agenda – particularly after new legislation is implemented. “The implementation of the claims regulation will bring quite a lot of technical elements with it. The European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority have to formulate nutrient profiles, which will have an impact on the food industry. There is therefore a lot of work that needs to be done in the next 12-18 months.”

Maintaining a high standard of healthy and nutritious food is a key objective at the company. By ensuring they have rigorous systems in place that are constantly monitored and maintained, food safety can be guaranteed as can the nutritional content of their food.