Lidl Northern Ireland has become the first supermarket retailer in the island of Ireland to announce a fibre strategy which aims to achieve an increase in the tonnage of total fibre sold by 20% and to boost the volume of wholegrains sold to 20% of total grains by 2030. The retailer also confirmed a new partnership with registered dietician Orla Walsh as part of its commitment to customers in supporting better health and wellbeing.
Working in partnership with Orla over the last 12 months, the retailer has reviewed its full product range and engaged with its longstanding local suppliers across the country to develop innovative solutions to increase fibre content within selected own-brand everyday and essential food items.
To date, an initial batch of 30 products have already undergone reformulation aimed at increasing fibre content. In 2026, additional products will be reformulated to increase fibre, with products labelled as ‘High in Fibre’ or ‘Source of Fibre’ where applicable, helping shoppers seeking healthier or more nutritious options to easily access affordable, quality food for improved overall health.
According to the UK government’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey, 96% of people in the UK are fibre deficient1, eating just 18 grams of fibre per day on average and falling short of the recommended daily intake of around 30 grams of fibre.2 Increasing fibre intake by just 8 grams per day has been shown to reduce the incidence and mortality rates of diseases such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer potentially by 5-27%, significantly improving health and quality of life.3
New research commissioned by Lidl Northern Ireland and Customer Perceptions found that three quarters of people in Northern Ireland (74%) did not know or were unable to correctly identify the recommended daily fibre intake.
In contrast, when asked about their own fibre intake, 56% of adults said they were confident that they are consuming enough fibre in their daily diets. Looking at the older population in a separate study carried out by Ipsos on behalf of Lidl Northern Ireland’s charity partner Age NI, a significant 85% of over 55s feel confident they’re getting enough fibre in their diet everyday.
Looking at how Northern Ireland adults are sourcing fibre intake, the majority of respondents said they get this from oats and porridge (18%), fruit (15%) including bananas as the most popular source, and 1 in 10 eating bran (9%), bread (9%) and vegetables (6%).
Thinking about the barriers to eating more fibre, the majority of Northern Irish adults (37%) say nothing stops them from eating fibre-rich foods every day, whilst almost a fifth (17%) are more likely to consider personal preference for foods as their main reason for not getting a more fibre-rich diet. 1 in 10 respondents admitted that they don’t bother with fibre intake out of laziness (12%). For older people, the most common barrier to consuming fibre-rich foods is the perceived high cost of these foods for 1 in 10 people.
Considering the importance of nutritional labelling on foods, the top three labels that the Northern Irish public think are most important in terms of health claims are ‘Reduced Sugar’ (32%), ‘Reduced Salt’ (31%) and ‘Reduced Fat’ (31%). ‘High in Vitamins’ (30%) and ‘High Protein’ (28%) also ranked highly. Just a fifth (20%) rated ‘High in Fibre’ as being the most important nutritional label, with more males than females rating this as their top consideration (57% males vs. 43% females).
More than three quarters (80%) of respondents said they would be more likely to purchase a product that was labelled ‘High in Fibre’ than products without the mark.
Commenting on the research and partnership with Lidl, registered dietician for Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland Orla Walsh said:
“I’m very proud to partner with Lidl Northern Ireland and back its brand new fibre commitment which sees Lidl commit to increasing the tonnage of total fibre sold by 20%. Not only will this move encourage other retailers to make similar changes to their product offering, but it underscores Lidl’s commitment in supporting its customers and helping to tackle some of the biggest health challenges facing the nation today.
With the average daily fibre intake being only 60% of what it should be in adults across the UK, effectively putting the region in a fibre deficit, the statistics speak for themselves – Northern Ireland is facing a fibre crisis and we need to significantly increase our consumption of this essential nutrient. This major move by Lidl will help start a national conversation to increase public awareness and understanding of the importance of fibre in the diet.
We know from new research by Lidl that there’s a real discrepancy between the public’s understanding of what the recommended daily fibre intake is and their perception of their own fibre consumption. That’s why nutritional labelling is so important – a product that is certified ‘High in Fibre’ and clearly labelled as such can empower shoppers to make informed choices to better fuel their bodies.
Working with Lidl Northern Ireland and its local suppliers, we have identified a range of products that can be easily adapted to boost fibre content and make what is already a good nutritional product a great one. It only takes a little extra fibre to make a big difference and, as we begin a new year and a new partnership, I’m looking forward to further supporting Lidl Northern Ireland shoppers with helpful tips and recipes to give everyone a nutritional boost.”
Kevin Duffy, Chief Commercial Officer at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland said:
“At Lidl, we’re committed to supporting healthy and sustainable diets and setting ambitious targets to ensure our food is good for both people and the planet. By setting an ambitious target to significantly increase fibre content of our products, we’re leading from the front and we’re very proud to be the first retailer on the island of Ireland to take tangible action.
Not only does that mean introducing new high-fibre products to our ever-expanding range, but it also means boosting the nutritional value of our existing products and making everyday items healthier, with no compromise on quality or taste.
Utilising our longstanding relationships with local suppliers, we’ve been able to work together to reformulate a healthier product and deliver greater nutritional benefits to shoppers which we know is of ever increasing importance. Our dedicated High Protein range has already been a huge hit with customers and we’re confident that shoppers will value having more choice over their purchases to prioritise healthier eating with this new High Fibre range.”
Elaine O’Connor, Head of Sustainability at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland said:
“As part of our overarching Sustainability Strategy, we are focused on delivering on our promise to customers to bring healthy, sustainable and high quality products at market-leading prices. We are committed to continuing to support our customer’s health and wellbeing every day, which is why we are so proud to announce our partnership with Orla Walsh.
As a leading registered dietician, Orla has been instrumental in the development of our new fibre commitment and how we practically and sustainably roll that out in a way that enables us to make a real impact on our customer’s lives. Working closely with Orla and our valued local suppliers, we’re now on that journey and we look forward to bringing customers more choice and more to value by shopping with us.”