More than 60 percent of Nestle products deemed unhealthy

Team Udayavani, Jun 1, 2021, 11:54 AM IST

A report cited that over 60 percent of Nestle’s food portfolio is unhealthy. Following which the company said that it is currently updating its nutrition and health strategy.

According to a report by Financial Times, Nestle acknowledged that more than 60 percent of its mainstream foods and drinks do not “meet a recognized definition of health,” and further acknowledging that some of their products will never be healthy, no matter how much they renovate.

The report stated that Nestle had knowledge of a presentation circulated among top executives earlier this year. It said that only 37 percent of Nestle’s food and beverages by revenues, excluding products such as pet food, achieve a rating above 3.5 under Australia’s Health Star Rating system.

It was found that 70 percent of Nestle’s food products failed to meet the mark, along with 96 percent of its beverages but excluding pure coffee.

Almost 99 percent of its confectionery and ice cream portfolio also failed to meet the standard. The data does not include pet food, baby food and the health science division.

Nestle stated that it is working on a ‘company-wide project’ to update its nutrition and health strategy and further asserted that it is looking at its entire portfolio to make sure that its products meet nutritional needs.

Nestle is one of the world’s largest food companies, making it a food giant. The company informed that it had reduced sugars and sodium in its product by about 14-15 percent in the past seven years.

The food giant assured that it would continue to make its products healthier.

Talking about how they had launched thousands of products for kids and families that meet external nutrition yardsticks, Nestle stated, “We believe that a healthy diet means finding a balance between wellbeing and enjoyment. This includes having space for some 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.”