Latest news with #Ribena
Euronews
9 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
More Than Taste: Reformulating for a Healthier Future
As awareness grows around the importance of balanced diets and healthier lifestyles, actors across society - from policymakers to businesses and consumers - are working together to support positive change. At Suntory Beverage & Food Europe (SBFE), supporting healthier diets isn't a marketing line - it's been a strategic priority for over a decade. Since 2015, we have taken decisive steps to reduce sugar across our core drinks – including beloved brands such as Orangina, Schweppes1, Ribena and Oasis – not because we had to, but because we believe people deserve better choices that still taste great. We've committed to helping consumers make positive choices without compromising on taste, quality, or trust. Reformulating drinks, especially iconic ones, is complex and often costly - but we've embraced the challenge head-on. We've reformulated over 300 drinks and cut added sugar by 30% across our portfolio in the last decade. Today, 60% of our drinks sold are under 5g of sugar/100mL. This isn't just reformulation by spreadsheet. It's a shift that touches every part of our business - from R&D and consumer insight to branding and packaging. And it all starts with one belief: better drinks shouldn't come at the expense of great taste. Our consumer approach is shaped by two Japanese principles: Gemba - going to where real decisions are made - and Seikatsusha - recognising the full complexity of people's lives. We don't just rely on traditional research; we go to the source. This lens helps us innovate drinks that genuinely fit into people's routines, values and expectations. Sugar plays a functional role in taste and texture, and every market has different preferences and regulations. That's why there's no one-size-fits-all solution - and that's exactly the point. Achieving a great taste for sugar reduced products is a bit like a quest for the Holy Grail for every passionate technologist. And even more knowing there is no one size fits all. In France, for example, we gradually reduced the sugar content in our recipes to accustom our consumers palates to less sweet tastes. In 2024, for Oasis Tropical, one of our iconic drinks in France, we launched a recipe with a 15% sugar reduction (v 2023) and a soaring 38% reduction since the original recipe in 2006. This work has been done in 5 stages of sugar reduction moving from 10.7g/100mL of sugar to 6.6/100mL. To support this kind of country-specific reformulation, we've invested in R&D facilities across Europe - including a €2 million lab near Paris and others in Spain and the UK. These centres allow us to fine-tune recipes and flavour profiles with local teams, ensuring consistent progress without compromising what people love. We rely on our strong science and technology capabilities in Japan, home to our innovation centre of excellence, working in close collaboration with our global R&D teams to deliver the local tastes that European consumers love. We also believe in informed choice. That's why we are a keen signatory of the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices, one of the first deliverables of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy. But we did not stop there, and in fact introduced our own Responsible Code of Marketing and Communications in 2024. It includes clear commitments: we don't directly market to anyone under 16, we ensure nutritional transparency on pack and online, ensuring claims are true, proven and non-misleading. It's how we hold ourselves accountable and make our values visible. In addition, through UNESDA, the European Soft Drinks Association, SBFE has also joined industry peers to commit to reduce average added sugars in European soft drinks, and not to sell or market soft drinks with sugar in schools. Lasting change requires a regulatory environment that encourages innovation, rather than restricting it. With our operations across different European countries, fragmented regulation across countries can be a barrier to business growth and development, undermining the EU single market and also causing confusion for consumers. The Commission's ambition to ensure that Europe remains competitive in food innovation is an important step in the right direction, and should be enabled by a science-based regulatory framework. We support frameworks that offer consistency, incentivise reformulation, and empower consumers through clear, science-based front-of-pack labelling. It's essential that these systems also recognise reformulation progress which is why we advocate for a non-discriminatory algorithm that accounts for reformulation efforts in fat, sugar and salt (FFS). In this reformulation journey, it is essential to have certainty about the safety and efficiency of our ingredients. That is why we actively support the ongoing re-evaluation of the sweeteners used in our drinks. At SBFE, our vision of Growing for Good means making choices that create lasting, positive impact; for people, for the planet, and for the communities we serve. Sugar reduction is just one part of that journey, but it's a powerful one. It reflects our commitment to evolve what our drinks can be, and to support healthier, more sustainable lifestyles. By the end of 2025, we expect to reach a 32% reduction in added sugar - just shy of our original 35% target. But this is not a finish line. By 2030, we aim to reduce total sugars across our portfolio by more than 35%, building on the momentum we've created. We believe that the bigger we grow, the greater our ability - and responsibility - to do good. That's why Growing for Good isn't just a company ambition. It's a mindset. It shapes how we act as a business, and how we grow as individuals: learning new things, trying new things, and constantly striving to be better.
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Sainsbury's meal deal hack lets you get ice cream 'for free' in hot weather
Supermarket giant Sainsbury's is offering a free ice cream or lolly with your meal deal this summer but not everyone knows about the deal - here's how to get it Navigating the working day during the sweltering summer months can present a few challenges - from choosing an appropriate outfit, finding a spot to soak up some rays outside the office, to deciding on a suitable summer lunch. For many of us, a meal deal is a quick and convenient option for a work lunch - it's speedy to grab some snacks, making it perfect for those with short breaks, and it doesn't dent the wallet too much. Typically comprising a main or sandwich, a snack (like a pack of crisps or fruit) and a drink, meal deals are readily available in our local supermarket branches - from Tesco Express to Sainsbury's Local. But one thing you might not be aware of is that you can include an ice cream or lolly within your meal deal. And this even extends to the more expensive ice cream options - like a posh Magnum - meaning you can save a few quid while savouring a delicious cold treat in the sunshine, reports Bristol Live. Sainsbury's Meal Deals can be a bit perplexing, with various 'tiers' of meal deal - starting from the basic tier priced at £3.75, the second more premium tier offering a £5 meal deal, and the most expensive yet even more premium tier costing you £7. Just to the left of the entrance in the Bristol city centre store, and the array of meal deal food, was a small vat of ice creams and lollies to choose from - and if you look carefully, you'll notice stickers decorating the area, indicating that you can include one of these frozen delights in your meal deal. However, not everyone notices these. The selection ranged from Flake ice creams, to Cornettos, Fruit Pastille lollies, Calippos and Twisters - and even limited edition Magnums. I chose a Flake ice cream, as it reminded me of times when a Mr Whippy ice cream during the summer months cost just 99p with a flake from the local ice cream van, writes Ellie Kendall. While this one didn't cost me 99p, combined with a limited edition 'Nduja chicken and bacon caesar tortilla wrap and a bottle of classic Ribena, my lunch came to £5 and saved me a total of £3.90. And it hit the spot - the tortilla wrap was absolutely scrumptious. The Flake ice cream would have cost £2.75 on its own, while the wrap was usually priced at £4.30 and Ribena at £1.85. We grabbed our selection, headed to the self service checkouts and then ventured up to sit on Queen Square in the sunshine - and it took us hardly any time at all, meaning we could enjoy a nice sunny lunch break before duty called once more. The only thing I would say you may need to consider, is eating your ice cream or lolly before your main, especially in the hot weather. Unless, of course, you have access to a freezer in your office. All in all, it certainly made the otherwise rather mundane task of buying lunch feel a little more summery. And, if you're venturing out with the kids in the summer holidays, this could also be a neat little hack to treat them to an ice cream and get them to eat a bit of lunch.
Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Times
Sugar tax extended to milkshakes to tackle obesity and save NHS cash
Milkshakes and lattes are set to be hit by a sugar tax for the first time as Labour moves to extend the levy to hundreds more soft drinks including Pepsi and Ribena. Pre-packaged milkshakes and coffees will be covered by the levy, ministers signalled on Monday, ending an exemption they described as an anomaly. The present laws have mainly affected fizzy drinks. In a move that goes further than expected, ministers said it was time to be more ambitious on unhealthy drinks, announcing that they will also lower the sugar content threshold at which the tax applies, catching some of Britain's best-known brands and supermarket products which had changed recipes to avoid the previous levy. Tax rates on sugary drinks will also rise 27 per
Telegraph
28-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Reeves plans milkshake tax
Rachel Reeves is preparing to tax milkshakes in an attempt to reduce obesity levels. The Chancellor has drawn up plans to impose a sugar tax on milk and yoghurt-based beverages for the first time, after concluding that they are damaging public health. The levy will drive prices up by as much as 24p a litre, with officials expecting 93 per cent of drinks on the market to be affected unless they change their recipes. This would force the makers of drinks such as Irn-Bru and Ribena to cut sugar content or face having to pay the tax. Ms Reeves also intends to make an existing tax on fizzy drinks more onerous. The Treasury, which disclosed the plans in a consultation published on Monday, insisted that the anti- obesity move was needed because its current levy had not reduced the nation's sugar intake, which is still twice the recommended levels. However, experts accused Sir Keir Starmer of another breach of his election pledge not to raise taxes on working people. 'Sugar taxes have never worked' Dr Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: 'The sugar tax has been such a dramatic failure that it should be repealed, not expanded. 'It has been costing consumers £300 million a year while childhood obesity rates have continued to rise. 'To claim it has been a success on the basis of a hypothetical reduction of one calorie a day is absurd. Sugar taxes have never worked anywhere. What happened to Starmer's promise to not raise taxes on working people?' The sugar tax – officially the 'soft drinks industry levy (SDIL)' – is set at 18p per litre, or 24p for higher-sugar drinks. It was introduced in 2018 and Ms Reeves announced in October that she planned to extend it. However, she did not give details. At present, only fizzy drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml qualify for the tax, but the document said the Government is proposing to reduce this to 4g: a more 'ambitious target'. Milk-based beverages have also been excluded until now, because of fears that taxing them would reduce children's calcium intake, with teenage girls in particular not getting enough of the mineral. However, a Treasury spokesman said these concerns had proven to be misguided. He said: 'Whilst young people still do not consume the recommended level of calcium, milk-based drinks are not a significant contributor to intakes. Milk-based drinks only provide up to 3.5 per cent of calcium intakes for children aged 11 to 18 years, he said compared with 25 per cent from plain milk, and 38 per cent from cereal products such as fortified white bread. Although the exemption will be removed, a 'lactose allowance' will be introduced to take into account the natural sugars in the milk component of these drinks. In the document, James Murray, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'We recognise that many products have been reformulated to just below the 5g sugar per 100ml threshold. 'Nearly a decade on, we believe it is time to set a more ambitious target. In addition, while there is no doubt about the nutritional benefits of plain milk, it remains an anomaly that sugary pre-packaged milkshakes and other milk-based drinks are exempt from the levy. 'This consultation outlines pragmatic steps to extend the SDIL's reach and amplify its impact. 'We propose measures that could save thousands more from becoming overweight or living with obesity, ensuring the levy remains fair, robust, and effective while minimising burdens on businesses.' A spokesman said that the existing 5g boundary had forced many companies to reduce the amount of sugar, but by only a small amount below the boundary. It has led to a clustering effect, where some 16 per cent of soft drinks now have between 4 and 5g per 100ml of sugar. The Treasury said the level had been decided following a series of round tables with industry figures, health groups and academic experts. Previous plans to introduce a third rate for drinks with the highest sugar content have been dropped.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fixing Our Broken Planet: Preachy? No, the Natural History Museum's gallery gives you hope
The opening infographic at the Natural History Museum's new 'Fixing Our Broken Planet' gallery doesn't mince its words: the cumulative effects of climate change — the declining condition of oceans and forests, and the number of species facing extinction — amount to 'a planetary emergency' which requires a 'global response'. The one-roomed exhibition which follows this declaration of disaster is the museum's first new permanent gallery since 2016. What begun in 2020 as a temporary display has grown into something more substantial: a collection of specimens nominated and introduced by the museum's impressive team of research scientists. The exhibits — from microscopic fungi to a huge taxidermied bison — tell the story of mankind's relationship with the planet through the food we eat, the materials we use, and the energy we harness. Some of the specimens are bizarrely fascinating. If you've ever wondered whether whales have earwax (or even ears), then here is your answer: a white, triangular 'wax plug' forms inside whales' ear canals, with each new layer revealing the age of the whale — almost like the rings in a tree trunk. The interest isn't purely biological, alas: as scientist Richard Sabin explains, these rings reveal what chemicals a whale is exposed to — including toxic pollutants and common pesticides. Another scientist has chosen to display the huge range of plastic which can be found in the Thames. The wrinkled form of a Hula Hoops packet from 1986 or a crushed Ribena carton from the '90s are unusual exhibits to see framed on the wall of a museum, but they're a tangible reminder that plastic takes decades or even centuries to decompose. Some animals have been creative in re-using plastic: it is often found in birds' nests where, unfortunately, it runs the risk of strangling their young. Urban birds have also been known to use old cigarette butts to keep the nest free of ticks and fleas; innovation which, again, poses a danger to chicks. From chemicals and materials, the exhibition moves to consider the relationship between the health of the planet and the health of humans. Some of the facts are hardly revelatory — continual light pollution is beneficial neither for humans nor nocturnal animals like bats and moths — but others are more surprising. From the 1930s to the 1960s, the most reliable pregnancy test involved injecting a South African clawed frog with urine. There's a possibility, with an exhibition like this, that it could be simultaneously preachy and doom-laden: a gallery of now-extinct species and sanctimonious messaging encouraging everyone to become a vegan. Despite its occasionally subdued approach — some exhibits, like new varieties of corn, are worthy but hardly eye-catching — and some token advice from young environmentalist 'changemakers', 'Fixing Our Broken Planet' manages to avoid both these charges. This is not a gallery which leaves any visitors beaming with joy or with allayed eco-anxiety, but it still gives hope. There are scientists working to find solutions — from turning naturally-occurring granite into Lithium needed for batteries, to rewilding parts of Britain by re-introducing Bison into the countryside. This is an exhibition of expertise; a timely addition to the museum, which shows off the important research work which goes on behind the scenes. Fixing Our Broken Planet opens April 3; Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
