Food Reformulation and Dietary Health Outcomes

Food reformulation involves modifying the composition of processed foods to improve their nutritional quality and reduce the burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Efforts have focused on lowering levels of nutrients of public health concern—saturated fat, added sugars and sodium—while enhancing dietary fibre, micronutrients and bioactive components. Industry, regulators and public health agencies employ strategies ranging from voluntary reformulation commitments and nutrient profiling systems to mandatory limits and fiscal measures. Category-specific approaches set tailored nutrient targets for different product groups, recognising that portion size, technological constraints and consumer preferences must be balanced with health objectives. Such targets can be implemented through environmental, social and governance frameworks or policy levers including labelling, taxation and subsidies. Modelling studies suggest that systematic reformulation of staple products could shift population intakes toward dietary recommendations, yielding reductions in cardiovascular risk, obesity prevalence and related healthcare costs. Real-world evaluations using household purchase data indicate that reformulation initiatives can drive measurable declines in sodium and trans fats in key food categories. However, progress varies by region, product type and corporate engagement, and the long-term impact on health outcomes requires continued monitoring and evaluation. Integration of reformulation with broader multi‐component interventions—such as consumer education and supply-chain incentives—offers the greatest promise for sustainable improvements in population diets.

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Food Reformulation and Dietary Health Outcomes publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in food reformulation and dietary health outcomes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Food reformulation: Process of altering food product recipes to improve nutritional profiles by reducing harmful components or increasing beneficial ones.

Nutrient profiling: Science-based classification of foods according to their nutrient composition to guide reformulation or inform policy and consumer choices.

Nutrient density: Measure of the amount of beneficial nutrients per unit of energy in a food, indicating its overall healthfulness.

Reformulation targets: Predefined limits or goals for specific nutrients of concern—such as saturated fat, added sugars or sodium—used to steer product renovation.

References

1. The Kraft Heinz Company global nutrition targets for the innovation and reformulation of food and beverages: Current and future directions. Frontiers in Nutrition (2023).
2. The effects of policy actions to improve population dietary patterns and prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases: scoping review. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2016).
3. A nutrient profiling system for the (re)formulation of a global food and beverage portfolio. European Journal of Nutrition (2016).
4. Trends in Trans Fatty Acids Reformulations of US Supermarket and Brand-Name Foods From 2007 Through 2011. Preventing Chronic Disease (2013).
5. Food reformulation and nutritional quality of food consumption: an analysis based on households panel data in France. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2017).