30 Mar 2020 Webinar: “Ultra-processed foods” trends & insights

Euromonitor has launched a new webinar “Food Faith or Food Fact” addressing questions and issues around ultra-processed foods.

• What does ultra-processed food mean and what is the nutritional controversy around it?
• What is the global response to this controversy, from government regulation to classification of processed food (NOVA)?

Ultra-processed food is not going away in the public debate. Because of strong demand and belief in natural and simplified products (clean label) and due to regulations, mindful eating is now a path for manufacturers to reformulate existing products and adopt new strategies, using plant-based products.

Katharina Bagul, Industry Manager Food and Nutrition at Euromonitor International comments: “There is currently a lot of buzz around plant-based food. Categories such as meat substitutes and milk alternatives have experienced a surge in popularity between 2014-19 particularly in North America and Western Europe.

“While consumers tend to believe that plant-based products are better for them and the environment, they often turn a blind eye to the fact that many of those products are highly processed.”

Processed food is linked to health concerns such as obesity, that the global legislation attempts to regulate.

“Obesity rates (BMI 30kg/sqm or more) are projected to reach 43% of the population aged 18+ in the US and 35% of the population aged 18+ in the UK by 2030. Food regulation is expected to tighten in the future as governments get increasingly under pressure to take action in order to avoid an explosion of health costs,” predicts Bagul.

Other measures include the NOVA classification from Brazil, which identifies different levels of food processing rather than concentrating on one single nutrient.

Download now the webinar for more global insights...