pladis — the global snacking group behind McVitie’s, GODIVA and Ülker — has set a 2030 ambition to double the volume of products it sells with a better nutritional balance, marking one of the company’s most significant portfolio commitments to date.

The pledge centres on expanding the share of products containing less sugar, salt and saturated fat, and more fibre and protein, without compromising the taste that underpins its flagship brands.

pladis is positioning itself for a future where enjoyment and nutrition must coexist, using reformulation, innovation and market expansion to shift its global portfolio. The move reflects a wider industry trend: consumers want snacks that align with wellbeing goals without losing the indulgence factor.

Why pladis is making the move

Consumer expectations are shifting fast. Demand for snacks that support lifestyle and wellness goals continues to rise, but taste remains non‑negotiable. pladis believes brands that can deliver both enjoyment and improved nutrition will win long-term loyalty.

Dr Jennifer Moss, chief R&D officer, captured the tension clearly: “People don’t buy biscuits and chocolate because they’re looking for a lecture on nutrition – they buy them because they enjoy them. Great taste will always come first.”

She added that consumers increasingly want more choice, and that pladis intends to meet that demand by offering nutritionally improved options alongside its traditional favourites.

How pladis plans to hit the 2030 target

pladis will use a three‑pronged strategy:

1. Recipe reformulation — reducing sugar, salt and saturated fat while maintaining taste and texture.
2. New product development — launching ranges designed with improved nutritional profiles from the outset.
3. Market expansion — scaling successful better-balance products into more countries.

To guide this work, the company has built a new global nutrition framework informed by recognised systems including Nutri‑Score, Health Star Rating and the UK’s Nutrient Profile Model (HFSS). The framework evaluates both nutrients consumers want more of (fibre, protein) and those they want less of (salt, sugar, saturated fat).

Currently, products meeting the framework’s criteria account for around 10% of pladis’ sales volume. The company aims to double this by 2030.

A decade of groundwork

The pledge builds on extensive reformulation already underway across pladis’ markets:

• UK: 676 tonnes of sugar removed — equivalent to 169 million teaspoons.
• Netherlands: Sultana fruit biscuits reformulated with less sugar and salt, and more fibre.
• Türkiye (Ülker): 549 tonnes of fat removed, alongside reductions in sugar and salt.

These efforts form part of Happy People, Happy Planet, pladis’ newly launched global sustainability strategy.

This move signals a broader shift in snacking where nutrition frameworks are becoming globalised, not market-specific; reformulation is now continuous, not campaign-led; indulgence brands are increasingly expected to offer nutritionally improved variants without diluting brand identity.