Back to the origin

In a not so distant past, food products were local and seasonal, and therefore not available year round. There was no refrigerator, only a basement. Controlling the temperature was a lot harder at the time. Vegetables and sometimes also meat were preserved by consumers themselves; by soaking, for example. What consumer still knows this process today?

Nowadays, many foods are available throughout the year. They come from all corners of the world. This requires a sophisticated logistical operation and temperature control. If needed, recipes have been adapted to keep products fresh, edible and safe during the long trip. We have done this quite well so far. Our food has never been safer than it is today. In the Netherlands, it goes without saying. What consumer is seriously worried about it? 

But consumers want to go ‘back to the origin’; to local, small-scale, seasonal. This is linked to a new trend: products must contain less fat, less salt, and less sugar. And: without additives, without E numbers. E numbers that were actually introduced to get rid of the chemical names. E numbers that have been checked and found safe by official authorities. But consumers demand that things have to change. 

To meet that trend, many products are now being ‘reformulated’. During this process, the importance of certain additives for food safety is not always appreciated. Adjusting salt levels and leaving out additives with a preservative effect is detrimental to the food safety. A safety that has simply been a certainty for years. In addition, reducing the shelf life does not fit within the current logistical system. Therefore, it would be wise if producers and retailers start explaining to consumers what is really going on: that some products can only be made with additives, and that we do this in order to guarantee food safety. What consumer knows that?

After all, we manufacturers want consumers to be able to trust the food industry and to consume food-safe products. So don’t try to just please consumers and jeopardise food safety in the process. Just give information-hungry consumers the honest and reliable story. And yes, that takes courage.

Frans Egberts is Vice President of Food Drink Europe and Managing Director at Vleeswarenfabriek Henri van de Bilt B.V.

Photo: ©Wouter Boswinkel-PP fotografie