Nestlé internal presentation says 60% of its food products are unhealthy
An internal company presentation at Nestlé acknowledged that 60% of its food products do not meet the “recognised definition of health”.
Nestle Sa
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07:45 20/03/24
According to a report by the Financial Times, the internal document said that some of its mainstream food and drinks products “will never be ‘healthy’ no matter how much we renovate”.
The presentation, which circulated around top executives in early 2021, said that only 37% of Nestlé’s food and beverages by revenues, excluding products such as pet food and specialised medical nutrition, achieve a rating over 3.5 under Australia’s health star rating system.
The five star system, which is used in research internationally, marks the 3.5 star threshold as a “recognised definition of health”.
Within its overall food and drink portfolio, some 70% of Nestlé’s food products did not meet the standard, along with 96% of beverages and 99% of Nestlé’s confectionery and ice-cream portfolio.
“We have made significant improvements to our products . . . [but] our portfolio still underperforms against external definitions of health in a landscape where regulatory pressure and consumer demands are skyrocketing,” the presentation said.
The presentation comes at a time when executives at the company are considering new commitments to make on nutrition in response to the global push to combat obesity and lead healthier lifestyles.
Nevertheless, according to The Financial Times, Mark Schneider, chief executive at Nestlé acknowledged that consumers want a healthier diet but rejected claims that “processed” foods tend to be unhealthy.
Nestlé ranked the highest among the world’s big food and beverage manufacturers in a 2018 index of efforts to encourage better diets compiled by the Access to Nutrition Foundation.
According to reports, Nestlé said: “In recent years, we have launched thousands of products for kids and families that meet external nutrition yardsticks. We have also distributed billions of micronutrient doses via our affordable and nutritious products.”
It added: “We believe that a healthy diet means finding a balance between wellbeing and enjoyment. This includes having some space for indulgent foods, consumed in moderation.
“Our direction of travel has not changed and is clear: we will continue to make our portfolio tastier and healthier.”