Tackling Childhood Obesity Through Food Innovation
At Pennotec, we believe that great food can be both delicious and good for you — and that innovative thinking can make a real difference to public health.
When in 2017 Welsh Government Food and Drink Division launched a two-stage Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) challenge to develop solutions to the obesity crisis, we were ready to respond.
The Challenge
In Wales:
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- Nearly 60% of adults and 30% of children were overweight or obese.
- Obesity leads to an increased risk of serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
The challenge called for innovative solutions that would:
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- Improve the nutritional quality of food and drink for children to improve long-term health and wellbeing.
- Keep food appealing in taste, texture, and presentation.
- Make nutritious options more affordable for families, schools, and local authorities, reducing obesity rates.
Our Innovation: Turning Apple Waste into a Healthier Future
In the first innovation round, we partnered with Bangor University’s Biocomposites Centre to create a fat-mimicking dietary fibre ingredient from apple pomace — the solid by-product left after apple pressing.
This fibre could hold high amounts of water and be used as a puree to replace fats and textural starches in common recipes.
Irish food texture specialists CyberColloids tested the puree, and we demonstrated its potential using a standard Welsh school menu muffin — transformed into a lower-calorie, healthier version without compromising taste.
Scaling Up & Collaborating with Welsh Food Producers
Our success in round one earned us a place in the second stage of the challenge — one of only two projects selected from fourteen.
With the support of the Food Technology Centre, we produced our functional fibre for supply as a food ingredient to Welsh producers to reformulate school menu favourites:
- Sausages — 30% less fat using leaner cuts, but just as juicy and flavourful.
- Yoghurt — creamy mouthfeel without added sugar, ideal for low-fat dairy products, ice creams, and sauces.
- Sponge cake — 30% less fat and 15% less sugar, adaptable for flapjacks, brownies, cookies, and muffins.
Tested & Approved by Children
We conducted child-friendly tasting trials in local communities and Primary schools.
The result? Over two-thirds of children had no preference or preferred the healthier versions.
Our project was showcased at Taste Wales and Food Matters Live, and at the conclusion, the Welsh Government won a procurement award for the challenge they designed to combat obesity in Wales.
Our Vision
We see a future where healthy food is affordable, appealing, and part of everyday life — helping the next generation grow up healthier and happier, without losing the joy of eating.
