Report: Food industry prioritizes health

As Americans’ interest in nutrition and healthy eating has increased in recent years, food retailers and brands have implemented initiatives to support consumers’ health, according to a report from The Food Industry Association. 

The Food Industry Contributions to Health and Well-Being 2024 survey, fielded in October 2023, found that 70 percent of responding companies are currently operating with established nutrition, health, and well-being strategies, and about one-third have measurable qualitative targets and goals for these programs.

“Healthy eating has clearly become a priority for shoppers, and the grocery store continues to evolve as an accessible, community-based destination for health and well-being,” said FMI senior director for health & well-being Krystal Register, MS, RDN, LDN, in a statement. “This report illustrates that companies across the food industry are committed throughout their entire organizations to offer products and services to help families make positive food purchasing decisions and support them on their health and well-being journeys.”

Health professionals, including registered dietitian nutritionists are also playing larger roles in developing and operationalizing health and well-being strategies. The majority of responding food retail and supplier companies (82 percent) employ dietitians throughout their organizations. Additionally, 71 percent have dietitians in place at the corporate level, where they integrate with company executives to drive strategic leadership, regulatory affairs, labeling, ecommerce and digital merchandising and marketing and communications initiatives. 

Other key findings of the report:
• Roughly 90 percent of companies include nutritional messaging as part of family meal promotions.
• About 78 percent of suppliers are reformulating national and private brand products to reduce nutrients of concern like sodium and added sugars.
• About two-thirds (67 percent) of food retailers operate pharmacies.
• Roughly 63 percent identify disease prevention and health promotion as a top area of focus for programming in the next two years.
• 54 percent plan to partner with allied health organizations.
• About 46 percent expect to partner with health insurance providers. (SFA)