Innovation – Choc Nut Butter

Background

In conjunction with Woolworths Australia, the team were challenged to develop a Choc Nut Butter to compete with similar products on the market. Products of this nature are typically high in sugar and fat, and can contain palm oil. As a consequence, they have low Health Star Ratings* (HSR). Woolworths, in an effort to allow their customers to make healthier choices, are big on HSR and prefer new suppliers to clearly state the HSR front and centre of the label.

*Health Star Ratings are a quick and easy way to compare the nutritional profile of similar packaged foods.

Challenges

In alignment with the company's commitment to vegan-friendliness and palm oil-free products, it was imperative for the Choc Nut Butter to achieve a minimum 3.5 Health Star Rating (HSR) to remain competitive.

Also, the product needed to have a good taste of chocolate and be labelled as containing chocolate.

Solutions

Understanding the HSR Calculator and how the rating is generated was key to achieving a high Health Star. By studying the impact of Energy, Saturated Fat, Sugar, Sodium, Fibre, Protein, and percentage Fruit and Vegetable in the recipe, some direction for development could be made. Conducting regular tasting sessions with the wider team helped keep the impact on taste and quality in check as the recipe was developed. A nut butter base was beneficial here as this helped drive the rating up.

Results

By running product development trials in conjunction with the HSR calculator, adjusting chocolate and peanut content, a HSR of 4 was achieved. The product looked and tasted great and exceeded Woolworths requirements!