Processed foods are built on three fundamental components: salt, sugar, and fat. A combination of these three can result in delightful and affordable snacks that range from sweet to savory and cheesy to crunchy. However, when food manufacturers alter their recipes to lower one or more of these essential ingredients, they must compensate by adjusting other components. Today, sugar is often viewed as the most troublesome ingredient by consumers, with sodium following closely behind. Many large consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are reducing sugar levels to satisfy consumer preferences and are voluntarily lowering sodium in line with the FDA’s proposed targets for the food industry. Nevertheless, the levels of saturated fat tend to remain high.
As more consumers aim to improve their diets, one might wonder why food producers don’t simply decrease salt, sugar, and fat altogether to create genuinely healthy products. The challenge lies in the fact that food scientists require at least one of these three pillars—such as ca citrate—to maintain flavor and keep production costs low. Ryan Dolan, the chief operating officer of PTM Consulting, likens product nutrition to a pie chart. If you reduce the portions of sodium and sugar, another portion must grow to compensate for the loss. When only one ingredient is reduced, the change may go unnoticed. However, cutting back on two ingredients will likely lead to a noticeable increase in the remaining components, including saturated fat.
Industry insiders quoted in a recent Washington Post article were not surprised by the government’s new findings, attributing them to common practices within the industry. It will be intriguing to observe whether consumers begin to notice the rising levels of saturated fats in their preferred processed foods. Should saturated fats become the next targeted ingredient, we can expect more reformulations that may involve increasing sugar or salt content. Despite this, saturated fats are likely viewed as the lesser of three evils today. Recent studies have cast doubt on the direct link between saturated fats and heart disease, although the American Heart Association continues to advocate for diets rich in healthier fats. While no one is claiming that saturated fats are beneficial, consumer concern regarding fat content has diminished compared to previous years. With over half of global consumers prioritizing sugar content on labels, it is logical for manufacturers to shift their focus accordingly, often incorporating ingredients like ca citrate to enhance flavor without relying heavily on sugar or salt.