Speciality-Food-July/August 2025

3 specialityfoodmagazine.com Play Love , stated that consumers are becoming increasingly proactive about taking control on their health. Protein and fibre-rich foods are on the rise, as are those linked with immunity-boosts, mood-enhancement and brain health- optimisation. This isn’t to say that there isn’t an appetite for non-health foods: while demand is rising for nutritious options in the snacking sector in particular, the study shows that 38% of consumers believe that processing improves taste and 40% say it makes food and drink products more affordable. "Retailers have a crucial role to play in shaping the nation's diets,” says Oona Buttafoco, senior policy officer healthy and sustainable food at Soil Association. “With rising levels of diet- related illness and widening health inequalities, it’s no longer enough to offer healthy and sustainable food as an option – it must be the easy, N ewGovernment NHS plans require supermarkets to be proactive in encouraging shoppers tomake healthier choices, with fines being suggested as a deterrent for those that fail tomeet healthy food sales targets. A recent YouGov survey showed that of 32% of British consumers are in favour while over half (52%) oppose the idea. According to recent studies, the British nation is becoming increasingly aware of the need to eat more healthily, but with retailers often stating that they sell ultra processed foods (UPFs) – one of the key drivers of obesity and poor health across the world – as a result of demand from consumers, is it fair to put pressure on the retail sector to improve public health? There is a political split at play, according to YouGov: Conservative and Reformvoters aremost likely to be against the plans (68-71%), while Labour and Lib Demvoters are split, with 41-42% in favour and 44-45% against. The survey comes at a challenging time for British retail; while total till sales at UK supermarkets were up by 3% in June according to NielsenIQ, unit growth has declined by 0.7% in the same period as a result of waning consumer confidence and continuing inflation. However, healthy food sales are seeing an uplift, thought to be a result of the warmweather experienced across the UK. Meanwhile, NielsenIQ data showed accessible, and default choice for everyone. Retailersmust take greater responsibility for the products they promote and sell.” While the road ahead comes with challenges, Oona suggests retailers view it as an opportunity to do better for all. “Recent announcements onmandatory healthy food sales reporting for major food businesses presents a real opportunity for retailers to lead the way – by being transparent about the healthiness of their offerings and using that insight tomake whole andminimally processed nutritious, sustainable foodmore available and accessible to all consumers.” It is time to educate consumers Mark Kacary of Norfolk Deli believes that retailer fines would be a step too far in the wrong directionwhen it comes to the fight for better health. that healthier food options such as rice cakes (+18%), sushi (+15%), big pot yoghurts (+29%) and frozen fruit (+21%) have seen growth, in line with their Global State of Health & Wellness report which revealed that 66% of British consumers are actively making healthier choices. Limiting consumption of processed foods is the primary concern for 44% of shoppers, according to the report, with 36%making an effort to eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. MikeWatkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, explained, “In the first six weeks of summer 2025, shoppers have spent £700mmore and 75% (£521m) of that has been in fresh and chilled foods. This perhaps indicates the shift of spend not just towards convenient fresh food options but towards amore healthy and nutritious diet.” Another report, Circana’s Eat Should retailers be responsible for consumers’ healthy eating? “One argument is that a supermarket does offer plenty enough healthy foods," he began. "They sell fresh fruit and vegetables, they sell products like rice and pasta, they sell oats, lentils, pulses and tinned fish (of course they are nowhere near the quality of specialist shops, but going to a deli is like shopping for a BMW instead of a Ford). Where I would have sympathy for supermarkets (or for any retailer) is if fines were handed out based on arbitrary targets managed by who? This feel like an especially insane idea when inmany ways supermarkets are correct in saying they are purely responding to customer demand, even if that customer demand was created by them in the first place. "While retailers have a responsibility tomake healthy food available to the shoppers that want it, the buck doesn’t stopwith them," saidMark. Instead, education is needed across the board to help consumersmake healthier choices – and thismovement should start at the top of the chain. “I do not see this as a retailer issue although of course they (we) can all do better. It is an education issue,” he said. "Maybe a different set of fines should be dished out. Should it be to the government for getting rid of cookery classes in school? Or should it be to parents who have failed their children by not passing on a life skill and that being how to cook?” The nation’s fight for improved health is ramping up, but should the buck stop with retail? Industry experts speak out