New ways for retailers to encourage shoppers to choose healthier foods

From computerised healthy shopping trolleys to in-store nutritionists, supermarkets around the globe are gradually encouraging customers to make healthier food choices.?PRODUCE BUSINESS UK takes a closer look at the innovations that are already making their way into UK fresh produce aisles and how they can help today?s shoppersReformulating recipesA whopping 35 tonnes of sugar is set to be removed from Sainsbury?s shopping baskets every year following the retailer?s decision to reformulate its own-brand juice drinks. The move, reveals the supermarket?s nutritionist Annie Denny, is part of a long-running and wider initiative in which Sainsbury?s is reducing the amount of saturated fat, salt and sugar within many of its products.Denny points out that since the majority of people in the UK are either overweight or obese, the retailer asked itself the question: ?How can we support that customer who in all likelihood is overweight or obese?? Sainsbury?s then started a programme of reformulating both its biggest selling and staple items.According to Jon Woolven, strategy and innovation director for retail analyst IGD, which carries out research on best practice for its food industry customers, the initiative at Sainsbury?s actually forms part of a much bigger, global retail trend.That trend is resulting in both large and small retailers encouraging their customers to buy healthier foods. However, given the ethical debate of whether or not retailers should influence people?s choices, the industry is, Woolven claims, ?a long way? from settled best practice in this area. ?There?s a lot of learning going on,? he notes.The measures, explained in the original article, available below, include:Nudging customers in the right directionThe end of produce BOGOF offers?Global innovations include:- more attractive merchandising and lighting - a broader range of ?value line? or Class 2 produce- information on how customers can use less familiar products.