McVitie’s is considering recipe changes for several of its iconic biscuits including Jaffa Cakes, Digestives, Chocolate Digestives, Hobnobs, Rich Tea and Ginger Nuts. Owner Pladis plans to reduce sugar, salt and saturated fat while increasing fibre and protein in an effort to meet a new global nutrition framework.
Reformulation Goals
Pladis said it wants to double the sales volume of products offering what it considers a “better nutritional balance” by 2030. Currently, around 10 per cent of its sales volume comes from products meeting the new criteria. New products will also be introduced as part of the plan.
It has not been confirmed which individual recipes will be changed or when reformulated products could reach supermarket shelves.
Previous Changes
McVitie’s previously altered recipes for several popular biscuits in 2020, including Original Digestives, Rich Tea, Chocolate Digestives, Hobnobs, Chocolate Hobnobs, Caramel Digestives and Ginger Nuts, to reduce sugar and salt content. The company has already removed around 676 tonnes of sugar from UK recipes, equivalent to approximately 169 million teaspoons.
Company Statement
Dr Jennifer Moss, chief research and development officer at Pladis, said: “People don’t buy biscuits and chocolate because they’re looking for a lecture on nutrition – they buy them because they enjoy them. Great taste will always come first. What is changing is that consumers increasingly want more choice. They want products that fit their lifestyles and wellbeing goals, but they still expect the same great taste. We believe the brands that succeed in the future will be the ones that can deliver both.”
Pladis, which also owns Jacob’s, Carr’s and Ülker, created the global nutrition framework to determine which recipes meet its new standards. The framework considers nutrients people are encouraged to consume more of, such as fibre and protein, as well as those many shoppers want to reduce.
