As health becomes a key purchase driver, manufacturers are facing increasing challenges to ensure reformulation does not compromise taste.
Explosive rates of diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders are setting the stage for urgent reformulation. In 2024, 589mn adults between 20 to 79 were living with type 2 diabetes, representing 11% of the population without decisive action. And contributing to what is now a global health crisis, 2.5bn adults are overweight.
To combat this, governments are tightening regulations, implementing major restrictions to reduce consumption of products in high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS), setting the stage for healthier options that improve diets and health.
This pivot towards healthier food and beverage options is reflected in consumer purchasing behaviours. Demand for nutritious, sustainable food and beverages are increasing, driven by health consciousness and environmental concerns. However, although there is a notable shift towards healthier options, consumer unwillingness to compromise on taste is creating challenges for manufacturers when reformulating products.
In a new Spotlight On broadcast, ‘Mouthfeel Masterclass: The Unlock to Making Tasty Foods Healthier’, experts from Tate & Lyle and behavioural scientist, Richard Shotton uncover the practical strategies to make healthier foods tastier.
“Today’s masterclass is driven by a trend called mouthfeel mimicry,” says Marina Di Migueli, global marketing director at Tate & Lyle. “The trend has been identified in our recent report released in partnership with Kantar. The report covers key trends in food and beverages impacting mouthfeel.”
“So what is mouthfeel mimicry? This is really about recreating the mouthfeel of the foods and drinks people already love. Consumers today are making more mindful choices about what they eat – whether that’s trying to be healthier, choosing more sustainable options or finding foods that fit their budgets,” adds Di Migueli.
As nutrition, sustainability and affordability are becoming major drivers, mouthfeel mimicry helps manufacturers reformulate products without compromising on the eating experience, helping to achieve a taste profile that replicates the original.
The psychology behind purchasing decisions
Understanding the drivers behind consumer behaviour is key to success. Despite demand, health messaging alone does not change consumer behaviour. People choose foods based on expected taste, not only nutrient panels.
In Tate & Lyle’s Mouthfeel Masterclass, author of ‘The Choice Factory’, Richard Shotton explores the behavioural science behind consumer purchasing. “Encouraging consumers to pick healthier foods might sound like an easy task, but it is surprisingly difficult. People are very resistant to changing their diets. They’re creatures of habit. But behavioral science can help,” says Shotton.
“Behavioural science is nothing complicated – it is essentially what we used to call psychology. It is the study of what influences people to change their behaviour, rather than what they claim influences them.
“There are lots of ways to set out people’s expectations about what’s going to be a tasty, appealing product. It can be about price, provenance or the description of a food. But what we know is if we leave out positive, tasty descriptors, fewer people will pick the product,” says Shotton.
Shotton goes on to explore a 2017 study by Bradley Turnbull. Working with the cafeteria at Stanford University, Turnbull alternated food labels after long periods of time to evaluate consumer purchasing behaviour.
“Sometimes the labels would just emphasise the healthiness of foods – it might say ‘light and low carb beans and shallots’. Other days the label is changed to highlight the taste and mouthfeel, describing the dish as ‘sweet and sizzling beans and crispy shallots’.
“Turnbull sees a very clear pattern. With functional benefits, 158 vegetable portions were sold; when the taste and mouthfeel was emphasised, sales jumped 41% to 222 sales per day,” says Shotton.
Results show that if you highlight the functional benefits alone, you are not going to change people’s behaviour effectively. Results improve once you introduce taste messaging as well.
Case study: Reformulating ice cream
Consumers want to eat better without feeling deprived. Although they are turning to healthier options, consumers do not want to give up the food they love. This is especially true for comfort foods like ice cream which is tied to feelings of enjoyment and nostalgia. But increasing focus on sugar content, calories and overall nutrition is creating tension for consumers. This tension is exactly what Tate & Lyle set out to solve when mastering mouthfeel in reformulation.
“Our first case study is mastering mouthfeel ice cream with lower fat and sugar,” says Heba Shendy, sensory manager EMEA at Tate & Lyle. “Ice cream is one of the most beloved indulgences worldwide. But how can we create healthier, clean labeled options without compromising on taste and texture?
“Today’s consumers are no longer satisfied with the idea that products have to be either healthy or tasty – they expect both. That’s why we have seen a rapid rise in what we call better-for-you frozen desserts. These products let consumers enjoy sweet treats without the guilt, and importantly, without compromising the sensory experience,” adds Shendy.
While reduced sugar options, lower calories and less fat support health goals, they fundamentally change how ice cream behaves in relation to texture, creaminess, melting body and overall mouthfeel.
“Ice cream has the biggest opportunity as it’s also where mouthfeel becomes critical. Even if the label looks healthier, consumers will only come back if the sensory experience still delivers satisfaction,” adds Shendy.
Tate & Lyle’s Mouthfeel Masterclass deep dives into how manufacturers can rebuild texture and mouthfeel at a technical level to mimic the sensory attributes of full fat ice cream, even when it is lower in fat and sugar.
Watch On Demand now: Unlocking mouthfeel
Formulating healthier versions of consumer’s favourite foods isn’t just about cutting out fat and sugar, it’s about keeping the most loved sensory attributes. Mouthfeel is what makes products feel satisfying – and behavioural science tells us this matters. When healthier options mimic the experience of the original, consumers can stick to existing rituals while adopting better habits.
Tate & Lyle’s Mouthfeel Masterclass connects consumer insights, sensory science and ingredient solutions to make reformulation quicker, easier and tastier. The broadcast, ‘Mouthfeel Masterclass: The Unlock to Making Tasty Foods Healthier’ uncovers:
- Consumer insights and public health pressures driving change
- The science that helps to unlock mouthfeel – exploring why taste and sensory experience matters
- Hear from behavioral scientist, Richard Shotton on how better-for-you versions that deliver on taste can help people stick to healthier habits
- Dive deep into two real-world case studies: ice cream and mayonnaise, where mouthfeel mimicry makes the magic happen
Watch the Mouthfeel Masterclass On Demand now to walk away with the practical strategies to make healthier foods tastier – subtitles available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin.
