Healthy and tasty products

On average, people consume too much salt, sugar and saturated fat. This contributes to the rise in lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Eating products with less salt, sugar and saturated fat contributes to better health, but taste remains essential. Only when healthier food is also tasty and flavourful will people continue to make healthier choices.

The production of meat and convenience products.

We are constantly working to make our products healthier by reducing their salt, sugar and saturated fat content, without compromising on food safety or taste. In doing so, we follow the guidelines set by our customers and industry associations to promote healthy eating. Meat provides valuable nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and iron. We strive to retain the best qualities of meat in our hybrid meat products and to make them just as nutritious and flavourful as traditional meat varieties.

CEO

Over the past year, we have developed a large number of new convenience products. Where possible, we have focused on improving the Nutriscore. For example, we have made our tomato soup – our best-selling product – healthier by adding more vegetables and reducing the salt content. On an annual basis, this saves almost 600 kg of salt and adds over 81,000 kg of vegetables. This means an increase from 250 g to 340 g of vegetables per 0.5 litre, and a reduction in salt content from 0.88 g to 0.75 g per 0.5 litre. The Nutriscore of this product has gone
from B to A.

In addition, we have developed six new soups and three new pasta sauces with a Nutriscore of 
A or B. In the ultra-fresh meals range, we have developed more than 100 new meals with specific characteristics such as high protein content, low in calories, dairy-free or vegan.
 
39% of our convenience products fall under Nutriscore A or B. We no longer have any products with a Nutriscore E.
 
We have also taken further steps to reduce salt and sugar in our meat products. On an annual basis, we have managed to remove 1,300 kg of sugar, 600 kg of salt and 6,800 kg of saturated fat from existing recipes.

In 2026, convenience food companies will focus on further phasing out non-natural ingredients. In practical terms, this means that non-natural additives such as modified starch and maltodextrin will be removed from our recipes and, where necessary, replaced with natural alternatives. Naturally, this will be done without compromising on taste or food safety.
 
 With our meat products, we will be taking the first concrete steps next year as part of the National Product Improvement Approach. The emphasis here is on further reducing salt levels across our range. Through recipe optimisation, technological adjustments and intensive monitoring of nutrient values, we are working step by step towards lower salt content, without compromising on food safety, quality and taste.
 
 In addition, we are exploring ways to further reduce the number of allergens in our products. We are doing this by, among other things, critically assessing raw materials, reformulating where technically feasible and optimising production processes. In doing so, we are making our products more accessible to a wider consumer group.
 
 Finally, we are committed to phasing out artificial smoke flavourings. Where possible, we are replacing these with more natural alternatives or adapting production techniques to achieve the desired flavour profile. In doing so, we are responding to the growing demand for products with more natural ingredients.