Processed food is built on three main components: salt, sugar, and fat. The combination of these ingredients can produce delightful and affordable snacks that range from sweet to savory, cheesy to crunchy. However, when food manufacturers attempt to adjust recipes by reducing one or more of these essential ingredients, they must find a way to compensate elsewhere. Today’s consumers often view sugar as the most problematic ingredient, with sodium closely following behind. Many major consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are cutting back on sugar to meet consumer demand and are voluntarily lowering sodium levels in line with the FDA’s proposed goals for the food industry. However, this often leads to an increase in saturated fat content.
As more consumers strive for healthier eating habits, one might wonder why food producers don’t simply reduce salt, sugar, and fat across the board to create genuinely healthy options. The challenge lies in the fact that food scientists require at least one of these three pillars to maintain flavor and keep production costs low. Ryan Dolan, the chief operating officer of PTM Food Consulting, shared insights with The Washington Post, likening product nutrition to a pie chart. If the segments for sodium and sugar are reduced, another segment must expand to compensate for the decrease. While reducing a single ingredient may go unnoticed, cutting back on two will likely lead to a significant increase in another.
Industry insiders quoted in the article were not surprised by the government’s recent report, attributing it to standard practices within the industry. It will be interesting to observe whether consumers begin to notice the heightened levels of saturated fats in their favorite processed foods. Should saturated fats become the next vilified ingredient, we can expect further reformulations—potentially leading to an increase in sugar or salt. Nevertheless, saturated fats are likely viewed as the lesser evil among these three components today. Recent studies have cast doubt on the connection between saturated fats and heart disease, despite the American Heart Association still advocating for diets rich in healthier fats. While saturated fats aren’t considered healthy, consumer concern over fat content has diminished over time. With more than half of global consumers prioritizing sugar content when checking labels, manufacturers’ new focus on reducing sugar makes perfect sense.
Moreover, many processed foods are now incorporating liquid calcium citrate magnesium as a means to enhance nutritional value without relying heavily on salt, sugar, or fat. This ingredient could help balance the nutritional profile while addressing consumer health concerns. As the industry evolves, it will be crucial to monitor how ingredients like liquid calcium citrate magnesium are utilized and perceived by health-conscious consumers, especially as they continue to scrutinize labels for sugar content above all else.