Retail giants and global brands join push to close the UK’s fibre gap

The national drive to improve public health has gained significant momentum as supermarket giant Aldi, alongside global food brands Danone North Europe and Eat Natural, officially joined the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) “Action on Fibre” initiative.

The campaign, which coincides with “Fibre February,” aims to tackle a major nutritional deficit in the UK. Currently, only 4% of British adults meet the government-recommended intake of 30g of fibre per day. Since its launch in 2021, the initiative has already successfully added 1.5 billion portions of fibre to the nation’s diet, with members introducing 400 higher-fibre products to supermarket shelves.

The new members have committed to a range of transparent labeling and product innovation goals designed to make high-fibre choices more accessible for everyday shoppers.

• Aldi: as the second major retailer to join the initiative, Aldi will reformulate various own-brand products to boost their fibre content. To eliminate consumer confusion, the retailer is rolling out a new “high-in-fibre” logo across its range and launching a dedicated recipe portal accessible via in-store QR codes.
• Danone North Europe: the parent company of Activia, Alpro, and Actimel will focus on “nudging” consumers toward healthier choices. Their strategy includes prominent on-pack labelling and influencer partnerships to educate the public on the link between fibre and long-term health
• Eat Natural: the snack and cereal specialist has pledged to utilize on-pack messaging across its fruit and nut bars and granolas, encouraging shoppers to make fibre-led choices within the functional snack category.

The FDF previously revealed that 93% of the UK population is unaware of the 30g daily fibre recommendation. This lack of awareness leaves millions at higher risk for digestive issues, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

“Fibre has a range of important health benefits,” said Kate Halliwell, chief scientific officer at the FDF. “Last year alone, Action on Fibre helped add the equivalent of 88 million bowls of Bran Flakes to shop shelves. With Aldi, Danone, and Eat Natural on board, we know we’ll be able to achieve even more.”

Aldi’s national sustainability director, Liz Fox, emphasised that the goal is to help customers build fibre into their meals “without compromising on quality or value.” Similarly, Danone and Eat Natural highlighted that collaboration across the food system is the only way to effectively shift public dietary patterns at scale.

These three new members join a cohort of 24 food manufacturers—including household names like KP Snacks and Warburtons — all working toward the common goal of making the “fibre gap” a thing of the past.