Reformulation of food and beverage products for healthier diets

Book excerpt: The policy brief on “Reformulation of food and beverage products for healthier diets” is intended to set out in a readily accessible form the rationale for its area of action, synthesize the existing evidence base, highlight lessons from country experience and summarize available policy guidance. The brief addresses reformulation of highly processed foods and beverages that are energy-dense and nutrient-poor which have become cheaper, intensively marketed and more widely available. Too many people are consuming large amounts of food and beverage products high in energy, unhealthy fats, sugars and salt/sodium. Such products contribute to unhealthy diets and measures are required to eliminate industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA) from the food supply and to reduce the energy content per portion as well as lower the levels of saturated fats, sugars and salt/sodium in food. By driving wide-scale reformulation of foods and beverages, governments can help to ensure access to safe, sustainable and healthier diets.