Our sister publication FoodNavigator is putting nutrition forward food and drink centre stage at Positive Nutrition: Healthy Innovation for the Mass Market. The face-to-face event will run 29-31 March in central London.
Our full list of speakers can be found here, and the advance programme is available here.
Over three days, Positive Nutrition 2023 will take a deep dive into core themes, Rethinking Reformulation: What Will Healthier Products Look Like in 2023 and Beyond?
Panel discussion: Reformulation HFSS, Without Sacrifice
Consumer desire to cut HFSS consumption – without compromising taste – coupled with hardening regulatory approaches to promotions, marketing and labelling continues to spur efforts to reduce the amount of fat, salt and sugar in portfolios. The good news is that innovative new R&D strategies and the onboarding of new ingredient solutions are unlocking new clean label opportunities to cut salt, fat or sugar without sacrificing taste. How far can these emerging technologies really drive HFSS reduction?
Panellists include:
- Orlaith Danaher, Nutrition Manager, KIND
- Susan Gafsen, founder and director, Pepp & Lekker
- Flora Zwolinski, senior insight manager, Lumina Intelligence
- Saquib Ramday, VP, Head of Category Development - Europe, Tate & Lyle
HFSS will again be put in the spotlight, but from a regulatory perspective, as Katia Merten-Lentz, founder and partner, Food Law Science & Partners, walks us through the framework in Europe.
Preparing for Tougher HFSS Regulation
Speaker: Katia Merten-Lentz, founder & partner, Food Law Science & Partners
In Europe, the regulatory framework governing HFSS products has long been under scrutiny. From rules governing the use of nutrition claims to a more global health strategy, it is likely to become even more restrictive. Germany recently launched a strategy outlining nutrition standards for public procurement with the ambition to from away from HFSS diets to more plant-based options. Since last year, the UK has limited HFSS merchandising while a ban on HFSS advertising before 9pm and buy-one-get-one-free deals is due in 2025. Other changes are expected. For example, the EU Farm to Fork Strategy of May 2020 proposes several initiatives aimed at improving the nutritional content of foods. Meanwhile the debate over nutritional labelling continues to rumble across Europe as it attempts to move towards a unified approach. How is the regulatory environment evolving and what does it mean for the food and beverage sector?
- Having a clear visibility of the EU approach and interests at stake re HFSS.
- Anticipating the EU revisions
- Navigating and optimizing healthy innovations without facing legal obstacles
- Tailoring nutritionally dense foods for mass market
And it’s not all about HFSS, over three days Positive Nutrition will take a deep dive into five core themes:
Session 1: Rethinking Reformulation
Nutritionists have been encouraging us to eat more fruit, veg and whole grains for decades - but this approach has failed to tackle issues like obesity. Reformulation and innovation are therefore key to securing a healthier and more sustainable future for food. In this session, FoodNavigator journalists will be joined by an expert line-up of speakers to discuss how public health challenges can be met by leveraging technical advances and ingredient innovation. What will healthier products look like in 2023 and beyond?
Session 2: Plant-Based Potential
Most of us need to increase the plant-based content of our diet to meet government-backed recommendations like the Eatwell Plate. But with the term ‘plant-based’ being stretched to include anything from ultra-processed burger patties, to bakery products and vegan nuggets, is there a risk that the plant-based category is falling fowl of health-washing? How can innovation in the plant-based space ensure products are delivering nutritionally dense, clean label products that also meet the organoleptic expectations of consumers?
Session 3: Food as Medicine
Between dietary interventions that promise to help reverse the onset of NCDs like obesity and a rejection of ‘diets’ in favour of wellness maintenance and body positive weight management, a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between diet and health is coming to shape consumer attitudes to food – and the innovation strategies of the brands that serve them. But, looking beyond the hype, what ingredients and strategies are truly delivering in this area? And how can the benefits be communicated?
Session 4: How Tech is Transforming Wellness and Diet
Digital technological developments are having a profound impact on what we eat. From digital apps that promise personalised dietary advice and consultation, to AI that can help reformulate products further and faster, we’ll analyse what the digital revolution means for positive nutrition and population health.
Session 5: Lifecycle Nutrition
The nutrients we need change dramatically as we age. From tot to teen, zoomers to boomers, our bodies need very different diets to support wellness. What innovation opportunities does the deepening understanding of lifecycle nutrition offer and how can the food industry meet the segmented needs of the mass market?
Positive Nutrition will bring together stakeholders from industry, academia and civil society to profile the latest in nutritional science and discuss why good food is good business. Alongside the informative and interactive content programme, the three-day event will be packed with quality networking opportunities for you to connect with your peers and discuss the innovation opportunity presented by healthy innovation for the mass market.