Tate & Lyle has published a new report arguing that manufacturers need to look beyond sugar reduction alone as metabolic health becomes a bigger driver of reformulation.
The report, titled "Future-Proofing Nutrition: Designing Products for Lifelong Metabolic Wellness," cites World Obesity Federation projections that more than 50% of the world's population will be overweight or obese by 2035.
530 million adults already live with type 2 diabetes, plus there will be a projected $5.32tn combined economic burden from obesity and diabetes by 2035.
The data also points to a UK fibre gap: adults consume just 16.4g of fibre a day against a 30g recommendation, with only 4% of UK adults hitting that target, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
Consumer appetite for change is there, but taste remains non-negotiable.
The report cites data from Mintel showing that 70% of UK consumers rank the eating experience above any other product attribute and a third say they won't switch to healthier alternatives if taste falls short.
Regulatory pressure is also intensifying. The UK's HFSS rules have been steadily evolving since 2022, plus there are sugar taxes now in effect in France, Belgium, Portugal and Ireland.
Soluble fibre's role in glucose management
The report positions Tate & Lyle's PROMITOR Soluble Fibre as a tool for addressing sugar reduction, fibre fortification and blood glucose management simultaneously.
Citing a randomised crossover trial (Tan et al., 2020), the report noted that replacing 50% of carbohydrates with PROMITOR reduced glucose response by 25-48% and insulin response by 13-20% during a four-hour monitoring period.
Similar effects were also shown in a separate acute crossover study (Kendall et al., 2008).
Tolerance data (Risso et al., 2022) show the fibre is well tolerated up to 40 g/day in a single dose in adults and 3-8 g/day in children aged 3-9.
Dr Pippa Gibson, Nutrition Business Partner EMEA at Tate & Lyle, said reformulation is no longer just about removing sugar, but about improving nutritional profiles while protecting the taste and texture consumers expect, with soluble fibre offering a practical way to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Soluble fibre has an important role to play because it can help manufacturers address several nutritional priorities at once.
"By supporting fibre enrichment, enabling sugar reduction and helping to moderate post-meal blood glucose responses, it offers a practical way to develop products that better align with evolving consumer needs and public health priorities."
Formulation examples across categories
The report includes prototype formulations developed in Tate & Lyle's application labs.
In ice cream, PROMITOR 85 enabled a 30% sugar reduction (from 20.5 g to 14.3 g sugar per 100 g), added 6.9 g of fibre and achieved non-HFSS status.
A snack cake formulation reduced sugar by 40% (from 36 g to 21.5 g per 100 g) while achieving Nutri-Score B.
A gummy prototype using PROMITOR 85 achieved a 75% reduction in sugar alongside a substantial increase in fibre.
The report frames these examples as evidence that fibre-led reformulation can support HFSS compliance and improved Nutri-Score ratings without the sensory trade-offs that have previously limited sugar-reduction efforts.
