‘Trust the processed’, says Oatly on its carton of oat milk drink. The new blurb is – we presume – intended to quell concerns about these products being de facto unhealthy because they are processed; or perhaps ultra-processed (depending on how you would like to define it).
“When turning oats into a tasty liquid like the one you’re holding, we use clever production processes like heat treatment and homogenization. These are also used for cow’s milk, and we guess that makes our drinks processed, which apparently can be scary for some,” Oatly explains on its new packaging.
It continues: “That’s cool, food processing has been adopted by humans for centuries to reduce nutrient loss, curb food waste and, and give people access to safe, nutritious, and more affordable food.”
The move created quite a stir when we posted an image of the packaging on social media. From those who feel it is classic Oatly – that is, “smug” – and only likely to confuse consumers further on UPFs, to those who called for “more brands to stand by their products”.
Susan Thomas, an independent food industry consultant, liked the ambition of challenging the “dangerous idea” that any type of processing is problematic: “[…] the industry could be more assertive on this,” she explained.
However, the execution is perhaps wide of the mark, being “slightly patronising and also slightly mis-directive, as I expect it’s more likely to be the unfamiliar ingredients like dipotassium phosphate than the heating that may un-nerve people (and I am sure they could have explained perfectly well why that’s not actually something to worry about),” Thomas added.
Gill Wilson, sustainable marketing professor, was “not sure” about the brand’s thinking here. “[…] they are kind of side-stepping the real issue people have with processed”.
Amy Williams, a science communication expert at the Good Food Institute (GFI), praised the intervention – “[…] I like companies standing by their choices and offering greater transparency rather than just being cowed into going ‘clean label’ at the expense of important things like fortification” – but wonders if it is best left to nutritionists to educate consumers on this heated debate.
Elphee Medici tends to agree. The sustainable diets consultant and former Yoplait and Unilever employee, said it is a “brilliant” move. “The reach and impact Oatly has will be huge,” she explained.
Medici wondered whether a “large, genuinely collaborative campaign with independent organisations (for example Veg Power, the Food Foundation, EAT-Lancet [and others]) could be both powerful and timely. Many of us are ultimately working towards the same goals – refocus on what really matters for a healthy and sustainable food system,” she added.
Which is a fine way to sign off the final Digest of 2025.
In our other news this week we cover the Environment Agency’s concerns about intensification of farming, while the relationship between supermarkets and suppliers sours. The first trials under the Science-Based Targets Network’s nature programme also get underway with Waitrose and Sodexo involved.
