Micronutrients matter too

With the spotlight on reducing the big four macronutrient nasties: sugar, salt, saturated fats and energy, from pre-packed processed foods in recent years, no food manufacturers seem to be tackling insufficiency in the intake of valuable micronutrients in consumers' diets.

Ironically, never has micronutrient intake been so important in the everyday life of today's consumer. While the demand for convenient prepared foods shows no sign of abating, the cash rich, time poor consumers who are targeted with these products tend to be the ones who make the biggest compromises on their diets.

Today, many consumers often adopt more of a holistic approach to their health and wellbeing, taking supplements to maintain optimum physical and mental condition. However, where does that leave vulnerable groups like children, low income households, some ethnic minorities and the elderly? These groups are likely to be oblivious to the fact that they are lacking essential micronutrients from their diet, let alone be able to make informed choices to address their insufficiencies.

Developers need to produce fully balanced recipe solutions, which address specific micronutrient-compromised groups. Make no mistake the legislation here is a bit of a minefield and developers that are serious about this opportunity will need to research thoroughly what law applies to their respective food categories.

While fortification is limited for fresh foods in the UK and there is a risk of over consumption by consumers who have no deficiency, a safer approach to recipe development may be to consider the inclusion of ingredients naturally rich in a specific micronutrient, which the target consumer group is known to be lacking in.

A science-based rationale and an eye for creating harmonised flavour combinations is what is needed for success in this field.

Angela Mitton​ is creative product developer at NPD consultancy Beetroot & Orange​