Kerry, a world leader in taste and nutrition, has launched a new tool that will support manufacturers to optimize the nutritional profile of products while being aware of the various front-of-pack regulations. KerryNutri Guide can measure food and beverages across a wide range of front-of-pack nutrition labeling systems and guide the user to a better score.

KerryNutri Guide has been launched in response to the need to promote healthier diets globally amid a changing regulatory environment. Governments across the world are introducing taxes and restrictions on products that are high in fat, sugar, and salt to combat health issues which put a huge burden on public resources, while manufacturers have the challenge of creating great-tasting products that still meet these guidelines. 

The online tool can support brands in navigating this changing landscape, quantifying the nutrition score of products against over ten global nutrient profile models and guiding users on how that score can be improved. Partnering with Kerry, manufacturers can use the scoring model to identify areas for reformulation and innovation.

Speaking about the launch of KerryNutri Guide, Albert McQuaid, global chief science and technology officer, Kerry, said, "In the past five years we have witnessed the most significant increase in nutrition restrictions and tax implementations to tackle obesity in history. Today over 40 countries worldwide use a front-of-pack nutrition label and this can be challenging for companies that have products that are sold in multiple markets. KerryNutri Guide measures products against the various front-of-pack requirements while also demonstrating how improving the nutritional profile can improve their score.

"It can be incredibly challenging for companies who sell products in multiple countries to understand exactly how these labeling systems will appear on their product. Using KerryNutri Guide, we can innovate with customers to create products that meet challenges such as sugar taxes, sodium reduction targets, and comprehensive nutritional profile models.  We have a broad range of technologies that can support reformulation as well as leading insights to support manufacturers in a challenging environment. We need to work together to create a world of sustainable nutrition, that is better for people and the planet – KerryNutri Guide is one way that we can support customers in our joint goals,” he adds.

How it works

Using data entered by the user, the tool measures the impact of a product that is packaged and ready for the end consumer, calculating energy as well as saturated fat, sugar, fiber, protein, and salt content. KerryNutri Guide then displays the nutrient score of each input, showing areas that are close to or exceeding a regulatory or dietary threshold.

With regulations varying globally, KerryNutri Guide offers regional insights and uses the data to replicate on-pack labels used in the EU, Brazil, the UK, Mexico, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. For example, it will show the HFSS score of the product for the UK market and can also display what sugar taxes apply for each region for beverages. In addition, the tool simulates what nutritional claims can make on the pack, whether the product is low in fat, sugar, or salt, or is a source of fiber or protein.