The world’s largest food and beverage companies sell products in low-income countries that are, on average, less healthy than those sold in high-income countries, according to a new report. Products sold by companies including Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever were assessed as part of the global index published by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI), for the first time since 2021. The nonprofit group found that across 30 companies, products sold in low-income countries received lower scores than high-income countries in a star rating system developed in Australia and New Zealand.
In the Health Star rating system, products are ranked best out of 5 based on their healthfulness, and a score above 3.5 is considered a healthy choice. In low-income countries, the portfolios of multinational companies are rated 1.8 on the system. In high-income countries, where more products were tested, they were 2.3. “It’s a very clear picture that what these companies are selling in the poorest countries in the world, where they are most active, are not healthy products,” Mark Vijne, ATNI’s research director, said in an interview with Reuters. ” “This is a warning to the governments of these countries to be alert,” he said.
This is the first time that the index has divided the assessment into low- and high-income countries. ATNI said the index is important because packaged foods are playing an increasingly important role in the obesity crisis, which is now a global phenomenon. According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people worldwide are living with obesity. The World Bank estimates that 70% of people who are overweight or obese live in low- and middle-income countries.
“We are committed to increasing sales of more nutritious foods as well as guiding people toward more balanced diets,” a Nestlé spokesperson said by email. Nestlé also fortifies products to help address nutrient deficiencies in developing countries, he said. A PepsiCo spokesperson declined to comment. The company set new goals last year to reduce sodium in its potato chips and add ingredients like whole grains to its foods.
(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Additional reporting by Jessica DiNapoli and Richa Naidu; Editing by Christina Fincher)
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