UK snack manufacturers are reformulating familiar products such as Ritz crackers, Doritos and digestives to comply with tighter rules on foods high in fat, sugar and salt. The changes matter because they aim to improve diets while allowing brands to keep products tasting and behaving much as consumers expect, often without buyers realising the recipes have changed.

Ritz now contains 80% less saturated fat, partly through replacing palm oil with sunflower oil, while BelVita Soft Bakes has cut sodium by 56% to avoid the “less healthy” classification. Mondelēz has invested £40m in reformulation since 2020 and employs more than 750 scientists and engineers in its UK research network, but companies fear a proposed tougher nutrient profiling model could reclassify 80% of reformulated products, especially over sugar rules. Manufacturers also argue that reducing sugar is technically difficult because it affects texture, bulk and preservation as well as sweetness.