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Science is critical to creating complete nutrition products, says Huel co-founder

Consumers need access to science-based facts in order to make informed nutritional choices, says James Collier, co-founder and nutritionist at meal replacement startup Huel – but communication can be tricky. “One challenge is that Covid-19 has sent a lot of people into an anti-science mindset,” he says.

Huel’s mission statement is to make nutritionally complete, affordable food, with minimal impact on animals and the environment. With this as a guiding principle, the company has emerged as a leading innovator in the no-prep meal space, delivering products that include powders, protein shakes and bars.

“The term we use is nutritionally complete food,” says James Collier, co-founder and nutritionist, Huel, who will be speaking at the Vitafoods Europe conference and the Future of Nutrition Summit in May. “Everything that you need nutritionally is in our products, such as the right amount of protein, fibre, carbs, and fatty acids etc.”

The company also recently expanded its offerings to include a vitamin and mineral drink containing fibre.

“One of the things that makes us different is that we use whole ingredients wherever we can as the basis for what we do,” explains Collier. “We want to offer everyone the flexibility of having a nutritionally good, convenient food option.”

Communicating in a contentious nutrition space

A consistent challenge in this increasingly crowded - and sometimes contentious - innovation space is reaching consumers with science-based facts. Collier highlights the role of social media - and certain influencers in particular - in spreading misinformation about nutrition. This can often be hard to counter.

“We are science-led, have tried to connect with consumers through being honest from day one,” says Collier. “One challenge now is that the Covid-19 pandemic has sent a lot of people into an anti-science mindset.”

Collier points out that people increasingly want quick, hard facts when the complexity of an issue can be incredibly difficult to grasp. And while science is about the continual pursuit of truth, changing the opinion of people who are increasingly led by ideology, rather than genuine inquiry, can be a Herculean task.

Challenging the definition of UPFs

One particular area that Collier believes requires more rigorous and honest debate is around Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs). In an in-depth article on this subject, he challenges the definition of UPFs under the NOVA categorisation. A key element of Collier’s argument is that a food containing a single so-called UPF ingredient – but that is otherwise nutrition-rich and packed with quality ingredients, such as fibrous cereals, fruits or nuts – should not be tarred with the same brush as foods that are high in sugar and lacking in key nutrients.

A key problem here, Collier believes, is that the UPF definition directly conflicts with other nutritional goals.

“We all agree that we are not getting enough dietary fibre,” he says. “This is critical for digestion, mental health, and the microbiome. Breakfast cereals like Shredded Wheat, Shreddies and Weetabix are all excellent sources of fibre, but would come under the UPF definition. These products I think are a great example of where the UPF argument falls down.”

Collier subscribes to the view that food should be seen as more than the sum of its parts, and that nutritionists should resist the temptation of trying to put everything into boxes. He believes that the NOVA definition of UPFs has value but should be confined to academia. “The ultimate casualty of all this are the consumers,” he says. “What we need to do is take into account the whole picture.”

^{© iStock/Yulia Panova}

Part of a sustainable food system

This view informs Huel’s holistic approach to nutrition, and Collier identifies five key pillars that his company strives to address simultaneously: eating for physical health; eating for mental health; sustainable nutrition; ethical eating; and eating with other people. “I intend to cover this during my talk at Vitafoods Europe,” he says. “We need to be thinking about sustainable nutrition, because what we eat affects others. And a diet isn’t sustainable if it can’t sustain an individual.”

Collier sees Huel as one part of a more holistic, sustainable food system, capable of providing nutrition to a growing population without unduly harming the planet. In order to tackle greenhouse gas emissions we need to eat less meat, he says – but that doesn’t mean cutting out meat altogether. There are issues surrounding GMOs, such as their potential impact on soil health, but that doesn’t mean they have no part to play in helping to feed the planet. (All Huel products are non-GMO).

“This is where Huel and other complete food solutions come in,” says Collier. “We are just one part of the solution. We are not trying to be another food, but rather a different format of food. And we are constantly working hard to be more sustainable.”