This has come as a surprise as the Swiss food conglomerate, Nestlé’s in an internal document admitted that more than 70% of its food and drinks portfolio do not meet the “recognized definition of health”.
How Does It Affect?
Nestle is the brand whose Maggi noodles, KitKats and Nescafe, many others are daily food staples for Indian households.
Also Read – Your Maggi Is Toxic, Nestle Admits In Court; Supreme Court Allows Case Against Maggi
Not only that, but the world’s biggest food company has also admitted that some of its food products will ‘never be healthy’ no matter “how much we renovate”.
A presentation circulated among top executives in early 2021 said that only 37% of Nestle’s products, excluding pet food and specialized medical nutrition, achieved a rating of 3.5 or higher under Australia’s health star rating system, according to UK business daily Financial Times.
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According to this company, a 3.5-star rating is considered as the “recognized definition of health”.
In simple words, this system rates foods on a scale of 5 stars and is used by international groups as the benchmark.
70% Of Products Are Not Upto Standards
Surprisingly, 70% of products out of the company’s overall food and drinks portfolio, failed to make the cut, along with 90% of beverages excluding pure coffee, as per the presentation.
Contrary to that, the water and dairy products fared well with 82% of waters and 60% of dairy above the threshold.
Also Read – Noodles War: Snac Tac By Reliance Is Beating Maggi’s Popularity In Indian Retail Market!
Further, the presentation quoted, “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,”.
Some Exceptions
It is noteworthy here that this data does not consider baby formula, pet food, coffee, and the health science division which the company makes for people with specific medical conditions.
But it also concludes that the data presented in the presentation consider the products, half of Nestle’s Eu 84.35 billion total revenues.
After this damaging revelation, the Swiss company said in its defense that it was working on a “company-wide project” to update its nutrition and health strategy, in a statement.
Further adding that it was looking at its entire portfolio to make sure its products helped meet people’s nutritional needs.
It seems like an irony from an Indian’s point of view since Nestle is recognized as a well-known and trusted brand in India.
But now, how much it can be trusted with the revelation of this report.
From time to time, this kind of revelation also raises questions on food standards and their implementation in the country.
Since it’s not the first time something like this comes into the picture.
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