Annual report and accounts 2023 - Flipbook - Page 56
A.G. BARR p.l.c. Annual Report and Accounts 2023
Responsibility report continued
We support healthy living
Calorie reduction
Our job has always been, and continues to be, about
understanding consumers and their changing tastes
and preferences, and providing them with great
products. Evidence shows that most soft drinks
consumers want to reduce their sugar intake while still
enjoying great tasting drinks. We have been reducing
the sugar content across our soft drinks portfolio
and introducing new and innovative reduced sugar
products in response to our consumers’ changing
tastes and preferences for many years.
98% of our Barr Soft Drinks portfolio by volume is
considered no or low sugar, containing less than 5g
total sugars per 100ml, and exempt from the UK Soft
Drinks Industry Levy, often referred to colloquially as
the “sugar tax”.
New price and location restrictions came into force in
England in October 2022, applicable to High Fat, Sugar
and Salt (HFSS) products. The definition of “high sugar”
for standard soft drinks is greater than 4.5g total sugar
per 100ml and from April 2022, six months ahead of the
new regulations, 98% of our Barr Soft Drinks portfolio
was HFSS exempt.
Responsible advertising and marketing
We take our responsibility in how we market, promote
and advertise our products very seriously. We advertise
responsibly, offer a wide range of pack sizes to assist
with portion control and, by providing clear nutritional
information, enable our consumers to make informed
choices. We fully comply with all of the appropriate
regulations and in some cases go beyond the standards
set, such as in the area of energy drinks where our
industry code exceeds regulatory requirements.
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Labelling
We have always been committed to providing clear
calorie and nutritional information on our soft drinks
packs to help consumers choose products that are
right for them. We were one of the earliest adopters of
the government’s voluntary front of pack nutritional
labelling on all our Company-owned Barr Soft Drinks
brands, which is a simple traffic light style scheme,
making it even easier for consumers to find the
information they need.
Research and Development
Our positive portfolio position is supported by our
in-house research, development and innovation team,
which delivers a wide range of reformulation and
innovation projects, using the experience they have
gained over many years to optimise recipes and carry
out robust consumer research to ensure our recipes
meet consumer needs.
In focus
Investment in new
R&D laboratory
In September 2022 we hosted employees from
around the business in a series of open days at
our newly refurbished Middlebrook laboratory.
The lab plays a vital role in the business and the
investment in an extensive refit of the facilities
demonstrates the importance placed on flavour,
quality and innovation. Colleagues were invited
to view a new sensory suite, packaging lab and
enhanced general lab space giving them the
opportunity to see how our famous products
are developed. Colleagues were also offered the
opportunity to design their own beverage, give
it a name and take it home for their friends and
family to try.
