ShareAction urges Nestle to reduce production and sales of unhealthy foods! Will it comply?

Nestle, the food and beverage company makes chocolate and confectionery and also milk and breakfast cereals. But a major chunk of these food items are high in sugar, fats, salt and calories. Hence, the Investment charity ShareAction requested the firm to cut down on its production and sales of unhealthy foodstuffs.

Nestle and the unhealthy foods

Nestle is a famous and old food and beverage company. It has 2000 food brands that are global icons as well as favorites locally. This Swiss multinational company makes chocolates, confectionery, milk, breakfast cereals and beverages. It’s products are world famous. The company’s headquarters are in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world.

Henri Nestle founded the company in 1866. Its name at that time was Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. In 1867, it became Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé. And in 1905, it’s name was changed to Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. Later in 1947 until 1977, it took the name of Nestlé Alimentana SA.

Investment charity ShareAction did a survey of the firm’s food products and beverages. And the result showed that 40% of the company’s products that they sell in the UK have high content of fats, sugar, calories and salt. Eating such foods lead to overweight, obesity, body inflammation, chronic diseases, gut issues, metabolic diseases, type 2 diabetes, and high blood cholesterol and blood pressure.

Therefore, the charity has requested the company to reduce the sales of its unhealthier products. Thus, they could contribute to global health.

ShareAction and its request

The multinational firm has said that it was the first company that started reporting about the healthiness of it’s products. And it also aims to set a target for sales of healthier products towards the end of 2023.

But besides increasing the production of healthy foods, ShareAction wants Nestle to bring down it’s production and sales of the unhealthy foods.

In April this year, the company launched it’s new KitKat breakfast cereals in the UK supermarkets. In 30 grams of serving of this breakfast cereal, there is 7.4 grams of sugar. This is very high sugar content and more than that recommended. But Nestle added that this cereal was not meant for everyday use. It can be indulged in only occasionally. But ShareAction is not impressed and wants it to reduce production of such unhealthy foods.

ShareAction’s reasoning

Simon Rawson, the deputy chief executive of ShareAction, lamented:

“Nestle has said it wants to sell healthier food, but it hasn’t given assurances 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.”

Also, read Breakfast cereals: the best and the worst!

He wants the food giant to rebalance its products so that people can get balanced diets. Writing to the boards of other food companies such as Kellogg’s, Kraft Heinz and Danone, ShareAction has called for more transparency and setting up of nutrition targets.

Nestle also produces Buxton mineral water and Nescafe coffee. It had claimed that the soaring inflation has caused a dent in its profits.