NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases, are the leading causes of death in virtually all countries across the globe and Nestle is playing an active role to improve health by addressing these prevalent issues with a number of commitments on nutrition.
Nestlé has therefore pledged to reduce salt, sugars, and saturated fats and remove trans fats originating from partially hydrogenated oils in its products.
In Central and West Africa, Nestlé achieved a 2.69% reduction of salt in its culinary products in 2013, compared to the year before, while fortifying the Maggi tablets in iron.
These are just a few of its 35 commitments that cover nutrition, water, rural development, environmental sustainability and compliance, which it aims to fulfill by 2020 or earlier. They form part of the Nestlé in Society report ‘Creating Shared Value and meeting their commitments 2013’.
By doing so, they commit to be part of the solution in the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Central and West Africa and worldwide. By 2016, Nestlé has vowed to reduce salt, sugar and saturated fat content by 10% in products that do not meet the Nestlé Nutritional Foundation criteria, which is based on nutrition science and public health dietary recommendations, such as those of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other global or local authorities.
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In commitment to healthy eating through its mobile caravans, Nestle provides expertise in culinary hygiene and healthy eating cooking tips to millions of consumers in the region. Last year, the caravans travelled through Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria educating about 587,000 women sellers through interactive cooking demonstrations, women’s forums, group discussions and presentations on micronutrient fortification. “After joining the initiative, I’m now able to promote best practices in healthy cooking and gain new customers,” said Saly Koné, a culinary spices vendor in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Nestlé is also addressing the problem of NCDs by helping to increase the consumption of whole grains and vegetables, including through healthier home cooking. Each year, more than 210 million servings are eaten by families in Nigeria, boosting the consumption of whole grains.
Nestlé’s efforts to combat non-communicable diseases are part of its approach to business, which it calls ‘Creating Shared Value’.
The company aims to create value for its shareholders while at the same time creating value for the communities it serves and in which it operates.
Nutrition is one of Nestlé’s three key focus areas, as well as water and rural development.
Kemi Ajumobi
