October 2025
ACI urges UK food manufacturers to unlock fibre and plant protein innovation in response to Royal Society report
Responding to urgent action areas identified in a landmark report published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B in September, ingredients specialist, ACI Group, has underlined the need to accelerate reformulation efforts using next-generation fibres and plant-protein ingredients for healthier, more sustainable product ranges.
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The report, backed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), outlined 27 urgent action areas to make the UK food system healthier, fairer and more sustainable. Among the priorities are calls to increase dietary fibre intake and boost the role of legumes and plant proteins in everyday diets.
Professor Guy Poppy, director of the UKRI Transforming UK Food Systems programme, describes the findings as a blueprint for action across government, industry and communities.
He says, “Among the recommendations are incentivising the use of UK pulses, reformulating school and public sector meals, introducing simpler health and environment labelling, and reducing food waste through mandatory redistribution schemes.”
Karsten Smet, CEO of ACI Group, concurs, “The new report adds greater urgency to address the well-publicised ‘fibre gap’. It’s clear that this is high on the public health agenda, so by reformulating products for a higher fibre content, manufacturers can stay ahead of evolving regulations, win consumer trust with healthier products, and strengthen supply resilience by tapping into UK-grown pulses and sustainable fibre sources. This is about future-proofing portfolios, while creating real value for business and consumer wellbeing.”
ACI is already working with UK food producers to turn these priorities into practical, profitable solutions. Its high-performance fibre ingredient portfolio integrates seamlessly into baked goods, cereals, snacks and beverages, enabling fibre uplift without compromising taste or texture.
Alongside fibre, ACI offers a comprehensive portfolio of plant protein solutions, including pea, bean and chickpea proteins as well as customised blends. These enable manufacturers to replace or complement animal proteins while maintaining the functionality and mouthfeel consumers expect.
Critically, ACI can back brands and manufacturers with technical reformulation expertise. Its R&D specialists work closely with product developers, guiding projects from bench trials to scaled-up production - delivering cost-effective, compliant and commercially viable results.
The UKRI-backed report reinforces that boosting fibre and plant protein is not only a public health imperative, but also a business growth driver. Manufacturers who act now can stay ahead of market changes as fibre addition and plant-proteins move from recommendation to expectation within UK food policy, while enabling an opportunity for manufacturers to innovate, differentiate, and build a more resilient, future-proofed product portfolio.