Highlights:
- Nestle India to update its nutrition strategy
- The Financial Times news report revealed that over 60% of company’s mainstream food and drinks portfolio failed to meet recognised standards of health and nutrition
The Swiss packaged foods and beverages company Nestle said it is working on a company-wide project in which it will update its nutrition and health strategy after the news report from The Financial Times revealed that over 60% of the company’s mainstream food and drinks portfolio failed to meet the recognised standards of health and nutrition
This news has put the makers of Maggi noodles, which is also the world’s largest packaged foods company, under fire.
In the presentation which was circulated among Nestle’s top employees this year and seen by The Financial Times, the report said, “Nestlé, has acknowledged that more than 60 per cent of its mainstream food and drinks products do not meet a ‘recognised definition of health’ and that ‘some of our categories and products will never be ‘healthy’ no matter how much we renovate.”
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The report also mentioned that 70% of the products from Nestle within its core foods and drinks portfolio did not meet a ranking threshold derived by the Australian health star rating system.
In the statement, which was released globally, the spokesperson from the Swiss brand said the company is now looking at its complete portfolio to ensure its products help consumers across age groups meet their nutritional needs and also support a balanced diet.
The company spokesperson said, “For example, we have reduced the sugars and sodium in our products significantly in the past two decades, about 14-15% in the past 7 years alone. In recent years, we have launched thousands of products for kids and families that meet external nutrition yardsticks,” in a statement.
The spokesperson added, “We have also distributed billions of micronutrient doses via our affordable and nutritious products. As we consider our future nutrition strategy, we are first focusing on assessing the part our food and beverage portfolio that can be measured against external nutrition profiling systems”.
Having said this, the Information accessed by The Financial Times excluded baby formula, coffee, pet food and the company’s health sciences division.
The food and beverage company said that even though systems such as Health Star Rating and Nutri-Score are useful and enable consumers to make informed choices, “they don’t capture everything”.
The statement said, “About half of our sales are not covered by these systems. That includes categories such as infant nutrition, specialized health products and pet food, which follow regulated nutrition standards.
“We believe that a healthy diet means finding a balance between well-being and enjoyment. This includes having some space for indulgent foods, consumed in moderation”.
The company’s India business spokesperson, where it sells brands like Munch chocolates and Maggi noodles, said that the firm is constantly working towards increasing the nutrients it provides in its products.
The company also try to innovate with new and nutritious offerings.
