The move forms part of a concerted push to help Scottish producers make their food healthier ahead of new regulations for high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products coming into force later this year.
FDF Scotland says that the funding is open to any manufacturers looking to improve the nutritional profile of their products, including those that are not within the scope of the HFSS regulations.
Scottish SME food and drink manufacturers will be able to apply for up to £5,000 to support reformulation projects that improve the nutritional content of their existing products.
The latest Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 will come into force on 1 October 2026. Under the regulations, products classified as HFSS using the UK Nutritional Profile Model (NPM) score will face restrictions on where and how they can be promoted in store.
For example, HFSS products will no longer be eligible for location-based promotions, such as end-of-aisle or store entrance displays, or buy one get one free or multi-buy offers. Seasonal and provenance promotions, including Burns Night, St Andrew’s Day and Christmas, will also be affected.
With the new regulations now less than six months away, FDF Scotland is urging manufacturers to take action, particularly those that rely on such in-store promotions or seasonal and provenance campaigns.
“With the Scottish HFSS regulations coming into force this October, reformulation is one of the most effective ways businesses can protect shelf space and promotional activity, while also improving the nutritional content of their products,” said Joanne Burns, reformulation for health manager at FDF Scotland.
“Through our Reformulation for Health Programme, we offer free, confidential support to help manufacturers understand their NPM scores and identify realistic reformulation options. This new round of funding is designed to remove some of the cost and risk involved, and we would strongly encourage Scottish SMEs to take advantage of the support now, ahead of the regulations coming into effect.”
Alongside the funding, the FDF team will offer free, confidential support, including help to understand the regulations, calculate NPM scores and identify reformulation opportunities across all product categories.
Funding of up to £5,000 can be used for costs such as trial ingredients, nutritional analysis, recipe development software and specialist consultancy.
NPM scores will be calculated before and after reformulation to demonstrate nutritional improvements. Applications for the funding will be open until 31 May 2026.
