Processed foods are built on three main components: salt, sugar, and fat. The right blend of these ingredients can produce delightful and affordable snacks that range from sweet to savory and from cheesy to crunchy. However, when food manufacturers modify their recipes to decrease one or more of these essential ingredients, they must find a way to balance the flavors. Today, sugar tends to be viewed as the most problematic ingredient by consumers, with sodium close behind. Many major consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are responding to consumer preferences by reducing sugar and voluntarily lowering sodium levels to align with the FDA’s proposed targets for the food industry. Unfortunately, this often results in higher levels of saturated fat.
As consumers increasingly strive for healthier diets, one might wonder why food producers don’t simply eliminate salt, sugar, and fat entirely to create genuinely healthy products. The challenge lies in the fact that food scientists require one of these three pillars to maintain flavor and cost-effectiveness. Ryan Dolan, the Chief Operating Officer of PTM Food Consulting, likened nutritional content to a pie chart. When the portions of sodium and sugar are reduced, another ingredient must expand to compensate for the deficit. If only one ingredient is decreased, the change may go unnoticed, but reducing two will lead to a noticeable increase in another component.
Industry insiders quoted in the article expressed no surprise at the government’s recent report, attributing it to standard practices within the sector. It will be interesting to observe whether consumers become aware of the rising levels of saturated fats in their preferred processed foods. Should saturated fats become the next target for scrutiny, one could anticipate further reformulations, potentially resulting in increased sugar or salt content.
Currently, saturated fats are often viewed as the least problematic of the three components. Recent studies have called into question the connection between saturated fats and heart disease, although the American Heart Association continues to advocate for a diet rich in healthier fats. While no one is claiming that saturated fats are beneficial, consumer concern over fat content has diminished compared to the past. With over half of global consumers prioritizing sugar content when reading labels, it’s understandable that manufacturers are shifting their focus.
In addition to these discussions, it’s worth noting the importance of calcium citrate, which is often overlooked in processed foods. Ensuring the calcium citrate recommended daily intake is met is essential for overall health, and consumers may want to pay closer attention to this nutrient as they assess the nutritional value of the products they choose. As the industry evolves, we may see a greater emphasis on balancing not just salt, sugar, and fat, but also on incorporating essential nutrients like calcium citrate into processed foods.