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March 2026 - Food

A new report indicates that there is significant confusion among UK consumers regarding what counts as healthy food. It reveals that while many adults often attempt to make healthy choices, these efforts occur against a backdrop of mixed messaging and unclear or inconsistent advice about what can be termed as ‘healthy’.

The report by Danone, titled "Consumed: Nutritional Behaviour Index," was published in January 2026 and is based on a survey of a nationally representative sample of 5,000 UK adults conducted between March and April 2025. A key aim of the report is to explore how UK consumers think and behave when making food choices over time, while also highlighting the public confusion surrounding the labelling of ‘healthy food’.

According to the survey, approximately a quarter (23%) of UK adults consider nutritional labels their most trusted and frequently used source of information for healthy food choices. However, two-thirds (65%) would like to see clearer labelling, indicating that current labels may be difficult to interpret or too complex. The findings also show that although three-quarters (72%) of adults believe processed foods are unhealthy, more than four in ten (45%) would be likely to purchase processed foods fortified with additional fibre and protein. Furthermore, over a third (35%) say they would be more inclined to buy these foods if they contained added vitamins and minerals.

The report highlights that confusion surrounding food nutritional labelling is further exacerbated by the lack of a clear, ‘unified definition’ of what ‘healthy’ means in the UK. Additionally, government proposals to reclassify certain foods, like yogurts and bran cereals, from healthy to unhealthy based on their fat, salt, and sugar content are eroding public confidence in making informed food choices. The lack of a universally accepted definition for the term Ultra Processed Foods (UPF) also contributes to this confusion. About half (47%) of those surveyed reported that they either avoid buying or consuming UPFs, and only six in ten (59%) claim to understand what UPFs are.

The report recommends that: ‘Government, industry and health professionals must continue to work together to guide policy, turn clarity into action and define “healthy” in a way that is clear, consistent and actionable’.

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