The Healthier Food Community

Changing the default in healthier products

During the Foodvalley Partner Event on 11 December, the Healthier Food Community came together to reflect on progress made in 2025, and to set a clear direction for the year ahead.

Looking back at 2025

Our collective ambition is clear: to prove the commercial viability of healthier products, with a strong focus on both retail and out-of-home channels. Although many healthier innovations already exist, scaling them remains challenging. Consumer habits perceived commercial risks, limited time to demonstrate success, and a lack of visibility often stand in the way.

This year, we took important first steps by launching two living labs, testing 13 products in real-life retail environments. The initial results are promising and show that healthier products can compete with conventional alternatives on margins. A key insight is that healthier options need to feel like the default choice for consumers.

Looking ahead to 2026

Building on the insights gained, we will move into a scaled test phase together with Bamboo Brands, a well-established in-store market research company with strong retail expertise. The next step focuses on expanding across multiple retail locations and redesigning full category shelves. By shifting shelf space from less healthy to healthier alternatives within the same product families, we aim to normalise healthier choices by making them the most accessible and visible option.

Based on the RIVM criteria for product improvement (NAPV) and energy intake data from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey (Voedselconsumptiepeiling), complemented by additional criteria, six product categories with high potential impact were identified. These categories were assessed on both their relevance for public health and their feasibility within current market dynamics.

During the Foodvalley Partner Event, partners actively contributed their perspectives and practical experience to further refine this selection. Based on these discussions, three categories were chosen for the Living Labs pilots in 2026, combining strong health potential with clear opportunities for commercial implementation:

• Ready-to-(h)eat meals
• Sweet bread toppings
• Condiments

The dialogue confirmed several well-known, yet essential conditions for success. Participants emphasised that price and margin parity remain the most significant barriers to scaling healthier products. Taste must meet — or exceed — consumer expectations, as acceptance is a prerequisite for lasting behaviour change. In addition, the group underlined that products with the highest sales volumes offer the greatest leverage for impact, making them the most suitable categories to test, validate and scale new approaches.

While these factors are widely recognised, the discussions made clear that addressing them deliberately and simultaneously is precisely where the greatest opportunity lies. By focusing on high-volume categories and aligning health ambition with commercial realities, the Living Labs aim to demonstrate how healthier choices can become the norm, at scale and with measurable impact.

Interested in contributing to the next phase of the Healthier Food Community? Let’s continue the conversation and become a partner of our vibrant network.Read more about the Healthier Food Community > The Healthier Food Community – Foodvalley