Average shopping basket now has ‘lesser calories and sugar’

Food and drinks in the UK now contribute 10 percent fewer calories, 12 percent fewer sugars, and 16 percent less salt to the average shopping basket as compared to 2017, states a recent report, highlighting innovation by companies to improve the nation’s diet.

According to Celebrating Food and Nutrition report including fresh data from Kantar Worldpanel, food industry has made great strides in supporting balanced diets. In fact, the average shopping basket in the UK is categorised as healthy, and there has been a 14 percent reduction in the HFSS score for the total food and drink market since 2017. Alongside continued efforts by companies to improve the nutritional profile of food and drinks, targeted initiatives to support communities is vital to reducing health inequalities across the UK.

The Food and Drink Federation’s Chief Executive, Karen Betts, said:

“UK food and drink manufacturers make a wide range of products that appear in households across the country and that are at the heart of everyone’s daily lives. Companies in our sector are committed to helping people and communities achieve healthier and more sustainable diets, and we are working hard to make our products better for people and better for the planet.  

“This includes improving our product recipes, re-looking at portion sizes and improving the information available to shoppers about what they are buying.

“We know there’s more to do, and we’re committed to continuing to make progress across the breadth and diversity of our industry and our wide range of products. This includes working with governments, including through the UK Government’s new National Food Strategy and its Health Disparities White Paper.”

The report also sets out the commitments of companies to help bridge the fibre gap as part of FDF’s Action on Fibre initiative to tackle food poverty with projects within local communities across the country as well as helping consumers to achieve more sustainable diets on the road to Net Zero.