“Unilever’s Commitment to Nutrition Transparency: Setting New Standards for Healthy Products in the CPG Industry”
In the past decade, numerous consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies have made significant pledges regarding sustainability, focusing on reducing carbon emissions and enhancing packaging. However, these objectives overlook a crucial aspect: the actual healthiness of the products. While consumers can access basic nutritional information on food labels, it often remains unclear how a product aligns with recommended dietary guidelines based on percentages and ingredient lists.
Two organizations—ShareAction, which leverages shareholder influence to advocate for responsible corporate policies, and the Healthy Markets Initiative, which collaborates with investors to promote reforms—have worked closely with Unilever in relation to this announcement. Previously, ShareAction investors had urged Unilever to present a resolution on nutrition at its annual general meeting, but it was retracted in conjunction with the announcement.
Hanneke Faber, Unilever’s president of Foods & Refreshment, expressed in a written statement that the company has engaged in “constructive dialogue” with ShareAction and the Healthy Markets Initiative. “We share a common belief in the importance of having an ambitious long-term strategy for nutrition and health, and that companies should publish ambitious targets to deliver against,” Faber stated. “I am confident that with these new initiatives, we will establish a new benchmark for nutrition transparency in our industry and enhance our positive impact on public health.”
Unilever has committed to utilizing at least six government-endorsed Nutrient Profile Models for its assessments, including the U.K.’s High Fat Salt Sugar initiative, which bans promotional pricing for less healthy foods; Europe’s NutriScore, which functions like a report card; and Chile’s front-of-pack labeling system. The company’s own Highest Nutritional Standards, developed in 2018, outline target calorie counts, as well as sodium, saturated fat, and sugar levels across various categories from sauces to snacks.
Unilever is already strategically positioned to enhance the healthfulness of its product range. According to the Access to Nutrition Initiative’s 2021 Global Index, Unilever ranks as the second-highest CPG company globally regarding policies, commitments, practices, and transparency related to healthy eating. Nevertheless, there remains considerable room for improvement. The report places Unilever’s product healthfulness closer to the median at position 17, estimating that only about 15% of its global retail sales in 2019 qualified as healthy products.
With this report, Unilever seems to challenge other CPG companies not only to commit to making their products healthier but also to measure their progress against standards established by governmental bodies. Research has indicated that processed foods can elevate health risks, including the risk of early mortality. These annual reports can serve to demonstrate that food companies are genuinely concerned about their consumers’ health, thereby building trust.
In addition, Unilever’s initiatives could pave the way for products like calcitrate tabs to be evaluated under these new nutritional standards, ensuring that consumers are informed about their health benefits. By adopting rigorous measurement tools, Unilever aims to set an industry precedent, encouraging others to follow suit and prioritize the healthiness of their offerings, including products such as calcitrate tabs, which could play a role in promoting better nutritional choices.
