Swiss FMCG major Nestle SA said it is looking across its entire portfolio to increase the nutrient profile of its products, following international media reports that 60 percent of the company's mainstream food and drinks portfolio failed to meet a "recognized definition of health" and nutrition.
Nestle is working on a company-wide project to update its nutrition and health strategy. It is looking at its entire portfolio to ensure that its products are helping meet their nutritional needs and supporting a balanced diet, a Nestlé SA spokesperson said.
The worlds largest food company, Nestle, has acknowledged that more than 60 percent of its mainstream food and drinks products do not meet a "recognized definition of health" and that "some of our categories and products will never be 'healthy no matter how much we renovate", the Financial Times reported.
A presentation circulated among the top executives this year, seen by the Financial Times, said only 37 per cent of Nestle's food and beverages by revenues, excluding products such as pet food and specialized medical nutrition, achieve a rating above 3.5 under Australia's health star rating system.
This system scores food out of five stars and is used in research by international groups such as the Access to Nutrition Foundation.
As per the report, Nestle, the maker of KitKat, Maggi and Nescafe, describes the 3.5 star threshold as a "recognized definition of health".
The report said within its overall food and drink portfolio, about 70 percent of Nestle's food products failed to meet that threshold, the presentation said, along with 96 percent of beverages excluding pure coffee and 99 percent of Nestle's confectionery and ice cream portfolio.
Water and dairy products scored better, with 82 percent of water and 60 percent of dairy products meeting the threshold.
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