Regional food company, Goodman Fielder, has launched its latest nutrition policy, establishing targets to help reduce sodium, sugar, and saturated fat content in line with external targets, and achieve a Health Star Rating (HSR) of 3.5 or above on 70 per cent of its everyday portfolio.
Goodman Fielder is home to everyday brands including Helga’s, Wonder, and Praise, and aims to lead Australian nutrition policy innovation and reformulation, aligned with the voluntary Healthy Food Partnership guidelines.
This includes adopting the Health Star Rating across its product range, with an aim to have 70 per cent of its product range displaying the HSR by the end of 2025, and to achieve above a 3.5 rating. HSR adoption has been a hot topic this year, with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) making efforts to speed up the process of making the label mandatory, which food ministers at state, federal and national levels have been discussing.
Goodman Fielder head of research and development, Simon Eagar, said the goal of the new nutrition policy was to take a holistic approach across the company’s portfolio of products by establishing firm targets.
“This aligns to our purpose of making everyday food better for everyone. We have already made some excellent progress in the area of reformulation and the adoption of the Health Star Rating, particularly around our loaf and wrap products,” said Eagar.
“There is always work to be done, particularly when we look at new product development and innovation – so, this policy gives us a framework for future success.
As worldwide nutrition guidelines evolve, it’s vital we are able to strike a balance between reformulation, nutrition and product integrity to ensure we maintain the taste customers love and the quality they are used to, all at an affordable price point for everyone’s budget,” he said.
One of the recent milestones the company achieved was the removal of 500 tonnes of sodium removed from its Helga's and Wonder bread ranges, reducing its sodium content by 30 per cent. The company has continued this commitment with the launch of the Wonder 5 Star bread range, developed especially to achieve a HSR of 5.
“Our nutrition policy commitments also extend to responsible marketing commitments, donation of essential grocery items to support our local communities, and supporting the nutrition, wellbeing and education of our employees,” said Eagar.
“We have sought advice and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders. We are really proud of the commitments and aspiration of our revised targets and framework, knowing it will be integral to guiding us now, and into the future.”
