25 largest F&B manufacturers assessed by ATNI

Food and beverage manufacturers must do more to address global nutrition challenges, the Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) says. The first edition of the ATNI report, launched on 12 March, assesses the 25 largest food and beverage companies on nutrition-related commitments, performance and disclosure practices.

Danone, Unilever and Nestlé ranked highest on the ATNI, with the highest scores on both the obesity and undernutrition rankings. But even these top performers have room for improvement, the ATNI says, with the highest score being only 6.3 on a 10-point scale.

Both Danone and Nestlé are reportedly in violation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes. The ATNI recommended that all breast-milk substitute manufacturers take immediate action to ensure compliance with the code.

“The Access to Nutrition Index is an urgent call to action for food and beverage manufacturers to integrate improved nutrition into their business strategies,” said Inge Kauer, Executive Director of ATNI. “It is not only good for public health; it is a business imperative and key to their long-term sustainability.”

ATNI evaluated companies on:

• Corporate strategy, management and governance related to nutrition
• Formulation and delivery of appropriate, affordable and accessible products
• Positive influence on consumer choice and behaviour

“The Access to Nutrition Index offers companies a comprehensive, independent assessment of how well their practices align with competitors in the food and beverage industry and provides benchmarks against which they can improve their approach to nutrition,” said Keith Bezanson, Chair of the ATNI Independent Advisory Panel. “The aim is to promote a more objective public debate and encourage companies to do more to address nutritional needs of customers.”

Key findings of the report include:

• The highest-scoring companies have clear commitments, detailed policies and measurable targets related to nutrition. They have also charged senior executives with achieving these targets and provided incentives for them to do so.
• Companies’ practices often do not measure up to their commitments. Companies are missing key opportunities to implement their commitments in core business areas such as product formulation, marketing and distribution.
• Companies are not meaningfully engaged in addressing undernutrition and could better leverage their expertise, skills and scale to help combat this global health challenge.

The ATNI index is available at www.accesstonutrition.org.