Kerry, a world leader in taste and nutrition, has launched KerryNutri Guide, a new tool that will support manufacturers to optimise the nutritional profile of products while being aware of the various front of pack regulations.
Using data entered by the user, the tool measures the impact of a product that is packaged and ready for the end consumer, calculating energy as well as saturated fat, sugar, fibre, protein and salt content. It then displays the nutrient score of each input, showing areas that are close to or exceeding a regulatory or dietary threshold.
With regulations varying globally, KerryNutri Guide offers regional insights and uses the data to replicate on-pack labels used in the EU, Brazil, the UK, Mexico, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. For example, it will show the HFSS score of the product for the UK market and can also display what sugar taxes apply for each region in beverages. In addition, the tool simulates what nutritional claims can make on pack, whether the product is low in fat, sugar, salt, or is a source of fibre or protein.
Kerry says the tool was launched in response to the need to promote healthier diets globally amid a changing regulatory environment. Governments across the world are introducing taxes and restrictions on products that are high in fat, sugar and salt to combat health issues, putting a burden on public resources, while manufacturers are challenged to creating great tasting products that still meet these guidelines.
The online tool can support brands in navigating this changing landscape, quantifying the nutrition score of products against over 10 global nutrient profile models and guiding users on how that score can be improved. Partnering with Kerry, manufacturers can use the scoring model to identify areas for reformulation and innovation.
Speaking about the launch of KerryNutri Guide, Kerry global chief science and technology officer Albert McQuaid said that in the past five years, the most significant increase in nutrition restrictions and tax implementations to tackle obesity had occurred.
“Today over 40 countries worldwide use a front of pack nutrition label and this can be challenging for companies who have products that are sold in multiple markets. KerryNutri Guide measures products against the various front of pack requirements while also demonstrating how improving the nutritional profile can improve their score.”
"It can be incredibly challenging for companies who sell products into multiple countries to understand exactly how these labelling systems will appear on their product. Using KerryNutri Guide, we can innovate with customers to create products that meet challenges such as sugar taxes, sodium reduction targets, and comprehensive nutritional profile models. We need to work together to create a world of sustainable nutrition, that is better for people and the planet – KerryNutri Guide is one way that we can support customers in our joint goals,” said McQuaid.
