Sabine Poelmann
Community Manager
Healthier Food
Practical Guide
Product reformulation & innovation for better health
Reformulation and innovation: building a healthier future
We believe the healthy choice should be the easy choice. Yet, the journey to healthier food options can be challenging. To collectively tackle barriers to limited R&D access and a fixed (technological) mindset, we created a Practical Guide for Reformulation and Innovation. This freely available, hands-on resource is designed to help professionals define and implement reformulation strategies, offering insights into the impact of changes on crucial product attributes such as taste, texture, and overall experience. The guide supports informed decision-making to improve product health without compromising quality.
Improving the health profile of food products – such as reducing sugar, salt, and saturated fat or increasing fibre – is a complex process. Reformulation goes far beyond simply swapping ingredients; it requires balancing nutrition with taste, texture, appearance, shelf time, and costs.
This guide provides practical guidance, real-world examples, and up-to-date solutions to help you navigate this process. It is aligned with the Dutch National Approach to Product Improvement (NAPV), but also relevant in broader international contexts.
What to expect
The content of the Guide is built on a strong combination of scientific literature and real-world expertise from R&D professionals. The Practical Guide for Reformulation and Innovation is developed within the Healthier Food Community and includes:
- Information on reformulation aspects related to sugar, salt, saturated fat, and fibre
- Explanation of both functional and nutritional roles of ingredients
- Solutions and technologies offered by suppliers
- Inspirational real-life case studies from the food industry
- Overview of advisory organisations and innovation facilities active in reformulation
The result is a broadly supported resource that reflects the practical reality of product development. Regular updates will occur to keep the Practical Guide for Reformulation and Innovation up-to-date.
Who is it for?
The Practical Guide for Reformulation and Innovation is relevant for:
- Food technologists and product developers
- R&D managers and innovation teams
- Marketing teams
- Food industry sales teams
It can be used as a reference guide, a discussion tool, or a training resource for teams working on product improvement. Regardless of job function, the guide helps you to make better-informed decisions that align health objectives with consumer expectations and product performance.