Investors ask Nestlé to rebalance sales towards healthier products

A group of institutional investors responsible for trillions of assets, including Nestlé, have called on the world’s largest food and drink manufacturer to commit to setting targets to sale of healthier products, stated recent reports.

Ahead of Nestlé’s AGM tomorrow, the investors stated that the company needs to rebalance its sales towards healthier products if it is to fulfil its ambition “to be at the forefront of the industry when it comes to bringing balanced diets within reach for people around the world”.

The group of investors, coordinated by investment NGO ShareAction, set out in their statement their support for Nestlé’s recent nutrition-focused disclosure, but said that this wasn’t going far enough. Nestlé reportedly has agreed to report on the healthiness of sales globally and to also publish this for 13 key markets using government-endorsed nutrient profiling models, which it did in March of this year.

Simon Rawson, Deputy CEO from ShareAction, said that Nestlé has said it wants to sell more healthier food, but it hasn’t given assurance that it will also address its less healthy food sales, which is essential to turn the tide against the harmful effects of diet-related ill health.

“Nestlé has an opportunity to stay ahead of food-related regulation and evolving stakeholder expectations. Recent research published by the World Obesity Federation showed that more than half of the world’s population will be living with overweight or obesity by 2035 unless serious and immediate action is taken. Nestlé, as the world’s largest food and drink manufacturer, could do so much more to support population health.”

A spokesperson for Nestlé highlighted that it had set a new standard in corporate transparency in March.

“We are the first company to report on the nutritional value of our entire global portfolio against a single externally recognised, nutrient profiling scheme,” they added.

Last month, Nestlé disclosed that less than half of its portfolio of mainstream products could be considered “healthy”, using a commonly accepted definition, saying that the Swiss company had made progress in reducing sodium, sugar and saturated fats. However, he also indicated there were limits to how far the company could push healthier alternatives and that treats such as chocolate were not meant to be healthy.