How important is mouthfeel in reformulation?

Food and beverage brands are fully on board the reformulation train.

Whether it’s cutting fat, salt and sugar levels to meet government guidelines, or adding functional ingredients to boost health credentials, redeveloping recipes is a major priority.

Recent examples include Nestlé’s decision to reduce sugar content across its product portfolio, the Coca-Cola Company’s new Vitaminwater launch, and Mars’ move to replace whey powder with skimmed milk powder in its Galaxy chocolate range.

“Manufacturers are constantly reformulating their products, whether it be small adjustments to the recipes to improve taste or texture, alterations due to supplier changes or to improve the nutritional quality of the product,” says Zoe Davies, a nutritionist for campaign group Action on Salt.

Not to be outdone, the service sector is also mixing things up, with KFC reformulating its big-ticket items to cut fat, salt and sugar.

But while the reasons behind a brand’s decision to reformulate might differ, consumer expectations of the final product remain the same. They want the same flavour and the same mouthfeel, though the latter is sometimes overlooked.

So, just how important is mouthfeel in reformulation?

How important is mouthfeel in reformulation?

In short, mouthfeel is incredibly important. In fact, for some, it’s even more important than flavour.

“A critical, and often underestimated, contributor to perceived value is mouthfeel,” says John Stewart, senior vice president of proteins and texturants at Tate & Lyle. “It influences consumer satisfaction and plays a key role in how indulgent or healthy a product feels.”

Unfortunately, mouthfeel can easily be altered when products are reformulated, particularly when ingredients are removed or replaced with alternatives.

“This is where technical innovation has a significant role to play,” says Tate & Lyle’s Stewart. “By using advanced ingredient systems, manufacturers can maintain or enhance mouthfeel, ensuring the sensory quality that consumers value remains intact.”

But even when products are reformulated well, and flavour and texture remain unaffected, consumers can still be reluctant to embrace the change. Which is where good communication comes in.

“When communicating product reformulation, brands should focus on positive messaging to ensure a smooth transition and maintain customer loyalty,” says Action on Salt’s Davies. “A focus on increased vegetable content, fibre or taste is to be more favourable than placing the attention on reduction.”

And some brands have been hugely successful in, not only reformulating their products without compromising on flavour and mouthfeel, but also in communicating this to their customers. PepsiCo is the perfect example of a brand that nailed the brief.

Brands successfully reformulating

Food and beverage giant, PepsiCo, announced the reformulation of one of its flagship brands, Doritos, in order to cut salt by 24% and fat by 15%. But rather than trying to defend the move, it said its famous crisp was even “crunchier” than before.

“Our teams have spent years mastering the art of cooking up delicious tortilla chips and this recipe is the culmination of all their hard work to perfect the trademark Doritos crunch,” said Robert Lowery, R&D senior director for UK Foods at PepsiCo. ”Having received the seal of approval in consumer testing from some of Doritos most loyal fans as well as our expert panel of ‘supertasters’, we can’t wait for these Doritos to land on shelves.”

Another approach, favoured by some manufacturers, is ‘health by stealth’. This is the act of slowly reformulating a product to reduce fat, salt or sugar, without communicating the change to the consumer. When executed well, the changes are so small and implemented over such a long period of time that the customer doesn’t notice any changes in mouthfeel as they adapt with the product.

“A health by stealth approach, when it comes to reformulation, is by far more effective,” says Action on Salt’s Davies.

But regardless of how brands reformulate, it’s essential mouthfeel is prioritised by manufacturers as it matters to their customers.

“As consumer definitions of value continue to evolve, mouthfeel will remain central to how products are experienced, judged, and remembered,” says Tate & Lyle’s Stewart. “Brands that succeed will be those that reformulate not only for cost or health – but also for satisfaction, relevance, and long-term trust.”