Nestlé Foods is working to shape “a better food environment” through major product reformulations including a decrease in fat, sugar, and sodium, as well as many artificial ingredients, the company said in its annual report, released earlier this week. The company also says it will be adding “real” fruits, veggies, and other whole food ingredients.
Nestlé says it has products in 97 percent of U.S. households and in says it wants to help American families make healthier food choices.
Read more about positive changes in the food industry
“Our work over the last 10 years to reduce sugar, sodium and saturated fat and remove trans fat from our products without sacrificing taste impacts millions of consumers striving for better health,” CEO Paul Grimwood wrote in Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value Report.
In 2014, Nestlé reformulated more than 1,000 products in order to conform to the nation’s changing nutrition standards. Sugar content is down by 10 percent compared to 2013, and the multinational food brand says it supports FDA’s proposal to require brands to declare added sugars on Nutrition Fact Panels.
“Nestlé believes in transparency to consumers,” the company stated in its report, “and recognizes that consumers can’t easily monitor added sugar intake unless they can find this information on food labels, which enables them to compare products and make informed decisions.”
According to Food Navigator, Nestlé will reduce sodium content by 10 percent, and remove all trans fats from partially hydrogenated oil products by the end of 2016, two years ahead of the FDA deadline.
But the most impressive moves might be Nestlé’s commitment to what it calls “high-quality ingredients,” including non-GMO, organic, gluten-free, and whole foods. “We’re adding more fruits and vegetables and other high-quality ingredients to make healthier choices easier and more delicious,” the company explained.
“This is no time for complacency,” Grimwood wrote, “We’re contemplating how we will continue to evolve and create shared value over the next 150 years.”
Read more about 5 ways processed food is killing you
Image via Dave Dugdale
