Insight: meeting our commitments in Latin America
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
Nestlé S.A. /
Insight: meeting our commitments in Latin America
. Processed and transmitted by Thomson Reuters ONE.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
By Chris Johnson, Nestlé Executive Vice President and Head of Zone Americas
(AMS)
This week I'm attending the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Peru, where
discussion will focus on the theme of 'delivering growth and strengthening
societies'.
In a region where many countries shoulder what's known as the 'double burden' of
malnutrition, one way to strengthen societies is to ensure more people can get
the nutritious foods they need to stay fit and healthy throughout their lives.
As head of Nestlé's business in the Americas, I take our responsibility to the
communities we serve in this part of the world very seriously.
We are helping to address this double burden through the products we provide,
the advice and support we offer our consumers, and our involvement in nutrition
and lifestyle related initiatives with other organizations.
In our new report 'Nestle in society - creating shared value', we announced
publicly for the first time a set of forward-looking, measurable commitments
that reflect our ambition to work collectively with other stakeholders to help
address the specific nutritional challenges posed by both over- and under-
nutrition.
Fortified foods
A lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet can have devastating
effects on communities - stunting children's growth, causing mental and visual
impairment, and reducing people's long-term capacity to work.
As part of our commitment to reducing micronutrient deficiencies globally, we
invest heavily in R&D and collaborate with scientists on an international and
regional level to fortify appropriate food products according to local needs.
Across Latin America, our Nido affordable milk powders fortified with iron,
calcium and vitamins C, A and D give lower-income consumers access to important
nutrients.
In the Caribbean and Central America we've initiated iodine and iron
fortification programs through our Maggi brand bouillon cubes and seasonings.
Also in Brazil, our Ninho Fruti and Ninho Baixa Lactose ready-to-drink beverages
are designed to help parents increase their children's consumption of iron and
essential vitamins.
Added value
Selling more nutritious food and drinks not only benefits our consumers; it also
makes good business sense. The market for these products is growing fast and
produces higher margins than the less nutritious categories.
In 2012, we responded to the growing consumer preference for lighter snacks with
the launch of a new range of Nestlé Fitness cereal snacks in six countries in
Latin America including Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador.
They are lower in sugar and fat than many snacking alternatives, and are made
using wholegrain wheat, oats and other protein and fiber-rich grains.
In the same year in Chile and Mexico, we launched Nestlé ActiCol, which is
clinically proven to help reduce cholesterol. Available as a liquid milk,
powdered milk or yoghurt, it's aimed at older consumers who want to maintain a
healthy heart.
Tastier and healthier
Healthy diets must be enjoyable if they are to be sustained. For this reason,
our approach to product development is underpinned by our unique '60/40+
program', the largest of its kind deployed in the food industry.
The program not only requires the product to be preferred by at least 60% of a
large consumer panel in a blind taste test against its direct competitors, but
it must also offer a nutritional 'plus' based on criteria recommended by
nutrition and health authorities.
Products we've created or redeveloped as a result of 60/40+ include our
'peelable' ice creams. At an average of only 70 calories each, they are lower in
fat and calories than competing products and are currently sold in 25 countries,
including Argentina and Brazil.
Other examples are our Benebien bouillon range in the Dominican Republic that
offers 25% less salt, our reduced salt Maggi soups in Argentina, and our
Equilive range of low-salt soups, seasonings and bouillons in Chile.
Knowledge and skills
At least 2.8 million people die each year globally as a result of being
overweight or obese, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO figures show that unhealthy weights are most prevalent in Canada,
Central and Latin America and the United States, where almost two thirds of
people are overweight, and one quarter are obese.
No-one wants to suffer the health problems associated with being overweight.
That's why we're also focused on giving people the information they need to make
the right choices from an early age.
We launched the global Nestlé Healthy Kids program with the aim of raising the
nutrition, health and wellness awareness of school-age children worldwide.
Today, the program operates in more than 60 countries, including 13 in Central
and South America and the Caribbean.
In Peru, it's been used as the foundation for a national campaign to fight
malnutrition, sponsored by the country's First Lady and Ministry of Education.
In Ecuador it has succeeded in helping 50 schools set up gardens to grow organic
fruit and vegetables.
To increase the program's emphasis on physical activity, we signed a five-year
global partnership in 2012 with the International Association of Athletics
Federations' Kids' Athletics initiative to encourage more sports participation
in schools.
Partnership activities are already underway in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and
Mexico, and this year we're expanding them to Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica,
Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.
Part of the solution
While our critics complain that the food industry is responsible for rising
levels of non-communicable disease related to obesity in both developed and
emerging markets, I firmly believe we can be part of the solution.
It's true that our portfolio includes foods such as ice cream and chocolate, but
whether Nestlé is in business or not, people will continue to eat these
products.
Our responsibility is to provide consumers with the best products we can in
these areas; to use our scientific expertise to offer the healthiest choices
possible.
In Latin America, as in many other regions of the world where we operate, we can
play a valuable leadership role in support of concerted action; from studying
how food can help keep people healthy, to finding solutions to managing diet-
related diseases.
We have the capacity, and more importantly, the determination to do so.
Media enquiries
Tel: +41 21 924 2200
Email: mediarelations(at)nestle.com
This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of
Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that:
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Nestlé S.A. via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1695930]
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 24.04.2013 - 16:56 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 252583
Anzahl Zeichen: 8089
contact information:
Town:
Vevey
Kategorie:
Business News
Diese Pressemitteilung wurde bisher 145 mal aufgerufen.
Die Pressemitteilung mit dem Titel:
"Insight: meeting our commitments in Latin America"
steht unter der journalistisch-redaktionellen Verantwortung von
Nestlé S.A. (Nachricht senden)
Beachten Sie bitte die weiteren Informationen zum Haftungsauschluß (gemäß TMG - TeleMedianGesetz) und dem Datenschutz (gemäß der DSGVO).
