‘M&S Only’: Is less more when it comes to food?

By Jade Shenton

Corn Flakes

Only 1 ingredient

Corn

The above is not my poetry competition entry but rather words from a certain Mr Marks and Mr Spencer. It’s the front-of-pack labelling of their own-brand box of cornflakes, sold alongside 3 ingredient branflakes and 6 ingredient choco hoops.

The M&S ‘Only’ ingredients range consists of 26 items (at time of writing), all of which boast of their minimal ingredients on the front label, from ‘Only 3 Ingredients Avocado Oil Crisps’ to ‘Only 4 Ingredients Rye Bread’. This category came about due to a recent surge in popular interest in the act of clean eating and/or the avoidance of UPFs (Ultra-Processed Foods.) Food processing has existed since the industrial revolution, first as a means of providing shelf-stable food for soldiers, then as more widely available products such as Coca-Cola (1886) and Jell-O (1897). Due to a combination of factors, including the low price of ingredients and engineered palatability, ultra-processed products have since become a staple of diets in many more economically developed countries. According to a study by the British Medical Journal in 2023, UPFs made up 57% of the average adult’s diet in the UK.

So why is it that we suddenly care if our meatballs have a bit of horse in them? Well, in the last decade or so, discussions about what’s ‘really’ in the food we eat, and the effect those ingredients might be having on our health, have begun to take shape. The persistent appearance of things like glucose-fructose syrup on ingredient labels lead to  huge concerns about the health repercussions from  consuming these products. The British Heart Foundation cites studies which link UPFs to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes, and early death. (Maybe not as concerning as reading my birth control side-effects leaflet, but still not great.) As a result, many people looking for ways to improve their lifestyle are turning to the length of ingredient lists as a measure of how ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’ an item is. You’ve probably heard someone on a morning talk show question why there are so many unpronounceable chemicals in everyday essentials, for instance, which of course leads health food companies to proudly add ‘ingredients you can pronounce’ to their branding.

Unfortunately for many, particularly those with money trouble, simply cutting out UPFs isn’t an easy option. A study of the cost of diets according to their caloric share of ultraprocessed and minimally processed foods in Belgium concluded that the average price per 100 kcal for UPF is significantly cheaper than for MPF (Minimally Processed Food). We can see this especially clearly when we compare the price of M&S cornflakes. Their regular cornflakes cost 19p per 100g, while their ‘Only 1 Ingredient’ cornflakes cost 77p per 100g. The higher cost of MPFs is partly justified by their shorter expiration date, which is a potential profit loss that shops have to take into consideration when pricing. This, combined with the time it takes to research the “healthiest” option, makes shopping purely for MPFs difficult for the working class. The regular flakes are also fortified with vitamins and iron, which ticks a box for parents in a rush who just want something healthy to give to their child.

Then, there’s the issue of dietary requirements and preferences. I’m vegetarian, and as I’m writing this in my university’s library cafe, I’m eating a vegan tomato & pesto wrap produced by Urban Eat, because it was the cheapest option left. This item would be classed as a UPF because it contains vegan “grate” (which legally can’t be referred to as cheese), a host of raising agents, modified starch, and xanthan gum. These ingredients are unhealthy to consume in large quantities, but those who commit to vegan diets (and those who don’t) frequently have to turn to this type of food when they forget or are unable to make something at home. I imagine this sentiment is shared for that aforementioned average adult in the UK who, perhaps despite desiring to cut down on their consumption of UPFs, might be torn between prioritising healthy eating, their moral compass, financial concerns, and many other coexisting issues. The demonisation of UPFs can cause feelings of guilt in those who struggle to avoid them, particularly working-class parents. Not to mention the implication that just because a product has fewer ingredients makes it automatically and universally ‘healthier’ can be misleading.

Nonetheless, many people can and want to leave UPFs behind as much as possible.The  introduction and recent expansion of this range can be a lifesaver for those who have mastered clean eating but stopped short of buying a personal meat grinder to make some ‘Only 6 Ingredients Chipolatas’. The majority of products in the range share a similar purpose of bridging the gap between the consumer and access to factory-grade machinery or exemplary kitchen skills. If you can’t find the udders on your oats by which to milk them, M&S will do that for you with their three ingredient oat drink, and they won’t even add Emulsifier E471 or Stabiliser E418.

Where the desire vs ability gap is shorter, however, some people say the system falls short. Anyone with an immersion blender (which I’m proud to say I do own, but it’s my boyfriend’s so I’m its stepmother) could recreate their ‘Only 6 Ingredients Olive Oil Mayonnaise’, yet M&S are selling it. Some say that’s an oversight and that they’ll lose sales as soon as people realise how easy mayonnaise is to make at home. And to those people, I say: consider the humble loaf. Does it require very few ingredients to make? Yes. Is it reasonably easy to accomplish? Yes. But Tesco have already gone to the trouble of baking hundreds, and they’re only down the road, and they probably taste really nice, and I’m going to Tesco.

Ultimately, I think the demographic this range is catering to is people with similar values to myself. I don’t think I’ll ever completely cut out UPFs from my life, partly because they’re convenient and partly because I like them. However, I still want to improve my diet where I can, even if that’s by 1%. I definitely see the appeal of items like this to aid in that process.

P.S. Corn is listed as the one ingredient in the M&S one ingredient cornflakes, whereas the main ingredient in their regular cornflakes is listed as maize. During my (limited) research for this article, I found out the word ‘corn’ originates from Old English meaning “A small hard particle, a grain, as of sand or salt.” So, depending on how prescriptive M&S consider themselves, maybe their one ingredient cornflakes are just salt.