Nestlé on a diet: cuts back sugar, fat and salt levels

Nestlé wants to lower its sugar, salt and fat levels to play into the global demand for healthier food.

Less sugar, fat and salt

There is a global trend for healthier food, according to CEO Mark Schneider: the Swiss food company will therefore invest a lot into the development of healthier products. Last year, it invested 1.45 billion euro, but it will now lower its sugar, fat and salt levels even more. The goal is to lower sugar by 5 % on top of the 34 % drop it managed since 2000.

Salt usage has to drop 10 %, despite a 20 % drop since 2005 already. The company also pledged to lower the number of saturated fat by another 10 % in all of the relevant products that do not meet the World Health Organization’s recommendations.

“Nestlé for healthier children”

The company also wants to launch products with a healthier image and further invest in categories that experience stronger growth today, like coffee, animal care, bottled water and baby food. It will focus a lot on children’s food and drinks, according to Schneider, with a new campaign called “Nestlé for healthier children”. It launched more than 1,000 new children’s products last year and the campaign also includes programs and online services to teach parents about healthy children’s food.

Nestlé already introduced a new Milkybar chocolate bar, with a 30 % reduction in sugar and it also signed a deal with Starbucks to sell its coffee in supermarkets. “Our strenght is in combining packaged wares’ convenience with healthy, good food”, Schneider added.