Nestle India cutting trans fats, sugar to focus on health

Nestle India is accelerating its efforts to be on the right side of consumers who are increasingly shying away from junk food. From cutting sugar in its beverages to fortifying snacks such as Maggi, the Swiss food giant has embarked on an exercise to make its products healthier.

Suresh Narayanan, chairman and managing director of Nestle India, told The Times of India that an exercise has already begun to reduce salt, sugar and trans fats from the company's portfolio here.

"Over 10 years, we have reduced the footprint of sodium from Maggi by one-third. Around 10 per cent of that reduction happened in the last three years," he said. "Globally, as well as in India, there is definitely a trend where consumers are opting for cleaner and healthier food products."

Narayanan said the company's Milo drink launched on Monday has 40 per cent less sugar than similar products from other companies. Nestle has also reduced sucrose in its baby food products, according to him.

"We are working on fortification as well. The only thing which was stopping companies from doing that was the absence of a regulatory framework. But now with FSSAI setting up a panel to frame final regulations on food fortification, work has already started," said Narayanan.

While Nestle's Masala Magic, a taste enhancer, is fortified, the company is looking to add beneficial nutrients to its other products, including Maggi and milk.

With obesity and diabetes levels growing across the world, food and beverage companies have come under increased scrutiny from health experts and authorities.

Many of them, including PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz, have been investing heavily to expand their portfolio of healthy products and reformulate existing ones to make them less unhealthy.