Leading UK food and drink manufacturers have the opportunity to greatly improve the nutrition and sustainability of their products by making changes to just 10% or less of their current product lines, according to a new study published in Nature Food. Researchers analyzed products from 44 major UK food and beverage companies, which together make up about half of the UK's food retail market. Each product was given a score for both its nutritional value and environmental impact per 100 grams. The study found that even similar products from different manufacturers can vary widely in these scores. For example, a ready meal from one company might be far less nutritious and environmentally friendly than a similar meal from another. To explore the potential for improvement, the researchers simulated what would happen if manufacturers replaced some of their least nutritious and least sustainable products with ones that had scores closer to the average. They found that many companies could achieve more than half of the possible improvements by changing just 10% or less of their product lines. Two major British supermarkets, which together account for nearly 29% of the sales in the study, were identified as having some of the greatest potential to improve their environmental and nutritional scores. In contrast, manufacturers with more limited product ranges, such as those specializing in snacks and energy drinks, had less room for improvement. Eleanor Hammond, the lead author of the study and a former researcher at the University of Oxford, notes that this is the first study to assess how food and beverage manufacturers can support better nutrition and environmental sustainability by making changes within their existing product lines. Co-author Dr. Michael Clark, an associate professor of sustainable food solutions at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, emphasizes that the transition to more nutritious and sustainable food systems will require changes from manufacturers or government intervention. He adds that manufacturers can take the lead by making small adjustments to their product portfolios now. The timing of the study is especially relevant, as the UK government is considering new legislation that would require food and beverage companies to report on the nutritional content of their products. According to Dr. Clark, the study provides a framework for the government to monitor both sustainability and nutrition outcomes simultaneously. It could also support environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting and align with regulatory standards such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.