Health Is Reshaping the Future of Food

A perfect storm is reshaping the global food landscape. Unhealthy diets now kill more people than tobacco, driving a healthcare crisis that is forcing us to rethink how we approach nutrition, corporate responsibility, and public health. At the same time, consumer expectations are shifting. As awareness of the impact of poor diet grows, so too does customer pressure on businesses and governments to act. Combined with a shifting regulatory landscape, these forces are giving rise to a new paradigm - one that challenges the status quo. 

The question is: will business lead the change - or be forced to catch up?

The Healthcare Burden: A System in Crisis

In case you haven’t read a piece from us before, here’s a short reminder of the macro context for why we believe we need to rethink food: 

The economic and human toll of our current food system is staggering. In the UK, obesity costs the NHS £6.5 billion annually, with broader economic impacts costing the nation £268 billion a year - nearly the entire annual NHS budget - through healthcare, social care, welfare, lost productivity, and human suffering. 

These figures are more than just financial strain - they are a systemic failure of our public health infrastructure.

If this leaves you wondering whether this issue is just related to the UK - its not. 

Globally, diet-related diseases are a public health emergency. Unhealthy eating drives an estimated  $8 trillion in hidden costs each year. Chronic, diet-related conditions are overwhelming healthcare systems, and the economic losses linked to overweight and obesity alone account for 2.2% of global GDP.  Emerging research also suggests that poor diets are shaving years off overall life expectancy.

The irony is, none of this is inevitable.

A Public Reckoning 

People are voicing growing dissatisfaction with a food system they increasingly perceive to be confusing, unhealthy, unsustainable, and fundamentally unfair. Hot of the press, new research by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission reveals a deep sense of injustice, particularly for those at either end of the supply chain, neatly summed up by this Food Conversation participant from South Wales: 

“For me, the two people that are suffering the most are the people that are producing [food] and the people that are consuming it. Everyone in between is reaping the rewards.” 

People’s discontent is rooted in widespread concern about:

• The long-term health impacts for individuals and already overstretched healthcare systems

• Access to nutritious food, especially for those on lower incomes

• The state of the food system future generations will inherit
  

A profound shift in consumer consciousness is underway. Food is no longer seen merely as sustenance, but as central to personal health and wellbeing. This is changing the consumer landscape:

• Demand is rising for healthy, minimally processed foods (three out of four consumers say they are worried about UPF - facilitating growth of brands like Tibah Tempeh which reported 737% growth YoY)

• Interest in nutritional science is surging, with the global nutrition apps market projected to reach USD 14.0 Billion By 2033

• Social media and digital platforms have become key sources of health information - example: 52% of Americans now turning to them for health advice, more than to healthcare providers

Regulatory and Policy Headwinds

As population health declines, governments around the world are waking up to the urgent need for systemic food system reform. 

Whatever you think about the Make America Healthy Again movement, it represents a shift toward greater accountability, transparency, and targeted nutritional standards. Let’s not forget thought, that more broadly, specific regulatory actions have been underway for years:

• Over 120 countries are implementing sugar-sweetened beverage taxes

• The UK's soft drinks levy has been followed by wider restrictions on placement and marketing of foods high in fat salt and sugar 

• Latin America and South Africa have led the way in instituting national policies to reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) high in nutrients of concern

• California has banned food additives and six dyes from school food. Make America Healthy Again Act signals a national move toward greater accountability and health standards 

Once considered radical regulatory interventions - these policies are now a mainstream tool to improve public health.

Investor Scrutiny: A New Era of Accountability

It’s not just policymakers who are paying attention. Investors, too, are rethinking how they assess risk in the food system. Their responsibility extends beyond company-specific performance to managing the systemic risks posed by an unhealthy, unsustainable food system. This is laddering up to food companies no longer being seen solely as consumer goods businesses, but increasingly as health risks - or enablers - of wellbeing, with direct implications for public health and societal resilience.

Last year marked a turning point, with the first ever lawsuit  filed against several major food companies accused of making addictive ultra-processed foods (UPFs). The case has brought litigation risks from diet-related health claims into sharp focus - alongside the potential for regulatory penalties and the long-term reputational damage of holding on to unhealthy product portfolios.

“To fully understand the risks and opportunities facing food sector companies, investors need access to good quality and comparable data on how companies are contributing to the risks, and how they are affected by them. However, there is currently a lack of disclosure from companies. That is why the Investor Coalition on Food Policy is pushing for mandatory reporting.” Sophie Lawrence, Greenbank’s Stewardship and Engagement Lead and Chair of the Investor Coalition on Food Policy

The Road Ahead: Transformation Imperatives

For organisations across the food value chain, the message is clear: fundamental transformation is not optional — it’s a competitive advantage. Leading businesses are already shifting focus from incremental change to systemic redesign, with priorities that include:

• Comprehensive product reformulation to improve the nutritional profile of ranges 

• Prioritising price investments in healthiest product lines to drive health promoting behaviours 

• Embedding health (and sustainability - a topic for next time) at the core of corporate strategies 

• Strengthening governance and accountability mechanisms for nutrition performance across portfolios

• Proactively supporting regulations that incentivise better food choices

The future of food is not a passive inevitability — it is something we all have the power to shape. The signals are clear and converging: food systems are undergoing a complex, adaptive transformation, propelled by evolving policy, shifting investor priorities, rising consumer demands, and accelerating technological innovation.

Question is: who will lead this transformation - and who will be left behind?