Food Processors Face Risk and Opportunity in GLP-1 Diets

GLP-1 medications – such as Wegovy, Ozempic and others – succeed in weight loss by suppressing appetite and changing eating behaviors, but they also carry a number of side effects. Because users are eating and drinking less, they run the risk of dehydration, malnutrition, muscle loss and weaker bones.

For food & beverage processors, the painful side effect is lower sales, especially of snacks and “junk” foods. Think chips and savory snacks, sweet bakery items and cookies, fresh and frozen side dishes, soft drinks, packaged meals, pizza, pasta and other frozen meals.

A new research report funded by Tate & Lyle notes an estimated 15 million Americans say they have “ever” used these medications. Use is expected to double over the next decade, with one in nine U.S. adults expected to use GLP-1 medications by 2035.

“Sales in certain categories are declining or at risk as GLP-1 users shift toward smaller portions, functional ingredients and guilt-free satisfaction,” the report says. But it also notes prospects: “For manufacturers, GLP-1 has created exciting opportunities, driven by a greater interest in healthier formulations and choices that support users.

“With smaller appetites, GLP-1 users are focused on optimizing nutrition in every bite and sip. Still, their goal isn’t just to consume food; it’s to find a way to reconnect with the joy and ritual of it — even as the biological drivers of hunger and cravings are diminished.”

In most cases, the solution for food manufacturers means less sugar, fat and carbohydrates – a recipe for many reformulations over recent decades – and more protein and fiber. And, generally, packing more nutrition into smaller or fewer portions.

However, “Reducing sugar and increasing fiber, protein or other functional ingredients changes a product’s sensory aspects, adding challenges to formulation functional ingredients” says Susan Butler, Tate & Lyle’s technical service director.

So reformulate carefully and holistically.