Global index shows that multinational companies such as Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever and other multinational companies sell less healthy food in low-income countries such as India

According to Reuters, products sold in India and other low-income countries by companies such as Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever were evaluated as part of a global index and found to be less healthy than those in high-income countries.

The companies, which are among the largest food and beverage multinationals, sell fewer healthy products on average in poorer countries, according to a global index published by the nonprofit Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI).

The index was first released in 2021, but this year for the first time the assessment is divided into low- and high-income countries.

Poorer countries have lower average scores

The ATNI index found that products sold by 30 companies in low-income countries scored lower than those sold in high-income countries on a star rating system developed in Australia and New Zealand.

The system, called Health Star Rating, ranks products based on how healthy they are out of 5, with 5 being the best and 3.5 considered a healthier option. But while the average score for foods produced by these multinational companies is 2.3 in high-income countries, in low-income countries the score is 1.8.

“It’s very clear that the products these companies are selling in the world’s poorest countries, where they are increasingly active, are not their healthier products,” ATNI research director Mark Wijne told Reuters in an interview. ” He also called this a “wake-up call” for the governments of these countries.

Obesity crisis takes center stage

ATNI says the index is becoming increasingly important as the global obesity crisis highlights the role of packaged food. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that as many as 1 billion people worldwide suffer from obesity, and the World Bank (WB) estimates that as many as 70% of the world’s obese or overweight people live in low- and middle-income countries, the Reuters report added .

In response to queries from Reuters, Nestlé said it was “committed” to selling more nutritious foods, saying: “We are committed to increasing sales of more nutritious foods and guiding people to adopt a more balanced diet. Nestlé also strengthens products to help bridge the nutritional gap in developing countries.”

Although PepsiCo declined to answer questions on the matter, the company has set a goal of reducing the sodium content in potato chip products by 2023 and adding ingredients such as whole grains to its foods.

“We acknowledge that there is always more to do, both at a business and industry level,” said Isabelle Esser, chief research, quality and food safety officer at Danone, the index’s top performer .

(With information from Reuters)