Nestlé in society Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015

Nestlé in society:
Creating Shared Value
Nutrition, health
and wellness
Rural development
Water
Environmental
sustainability
Human rights
and compliance
Our
people
Customer health and safety G4-DMA
Our research and development
As the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness company, we have a responsibility to use our nutrition knowledge
and research to make a positive contribution to society. Nestlé has built the world’s largest private nutrition
research network, which works with leading academic institutions to share understanding, improve our foods and
beverages, and push our company and industry to address key public health and nutrition challenges. By learning
about how, what and when people eat and drink throughout their lives, we can produce foods and beverages that
can help consumers make better, more informed and healthier choices. We seek to support public health by
investing in both individual- and population-based scientific research, which allows us to help develop measurable
strategies and meaningful initiatives to address local nutrition gaps.
Researching nutrition’s impact on
health and wellness
Balanced nutrient consumption is critical for daily bodily
functions. However, determining what and how much
individuals should be eating each day can be confusing.
Our aim is to help people make better-informed, sciencebased
lifestyle choices. For example, we’re currently
conducting research into the interaction between diet,
lifestyle, inherited genetic factors and individual metabolism.
The research we conduct among certain groups – including
the elderly, mothers, infants and young children – and in
specific countries, can shape our innovation work and inform
our food and beverage portfolio and related services.
Our research also aims to go beyond improving our food
and beverage portfolio. We seek to help the wider public
health community by investigating specific disorders and
illnesses, such as metabolic health and micronutrient
deficiencies. We are able to do this through a robust, global
network that includes research partnerships with leading
academic and scientific bodies.
Our findings, which are independently assessed and
reviewed, are shared publicly. Nestlé’s long-term commitment
to innovation has resulted in partnerships with leading
scientific organisations that are looking into disease
progression across the stages of life.
We believe we can advance faster and further through
scientific collaboration, with results that can ultimately
improve public health.
Our R&D network
As the largest private R&D network in the industry, we employ
more than 4800 people. The work of our global network is
shaped by our science and research centres: the NRC, the
CDU, and the NIHS. These focal points are supplemented by
40 Product Technology and R&D Centres across the world.
In 2015, Nestlé invested approximately CHF 1.7 billion in
R&D, predominantly for food and beverage businesses, and
filed 292 patents.
Processing for improved
nutrition and consumer value
The common misconception of processed and frozen food is
that it is always high in sodium, sugar, fats and calories, and
therefore a less nutritious option. At Nestlé, we believe that
processed foods and beverages can be a nutritious and
convenient option. We know processing thoughtfully and
responsibly can yield a number of benefits, including improved
nutrition, food safety and food accessibility. This belief led us
to open our new US R&D Centre in Solon, Ohio, in July 2015.
The primary focus of the new facility will be to develop
Nestlé’s R&D strategy for the worldwide frozen and chilled
foods business. Furthermore, the experts at Nestlé R&D Solon
will innovate and renovate products that meet the Nestlé
Nutritional Profiling System (NNPS) criteria requirements and
balance taste with nutrition. The team will also provide expert
technical assistance to Nestlé production facilities around the
world, particularly in the important areas of nutrition, food
processing, food quality and food safety.
We’re still focused on offering good food that
provides added health benefits, fulfils the highest
safety standards and offers nutritional advantages.
Food also must look and taste good, and offer
convenience to consumers. Our Nestlé R&D Solon
team will help to improve every aspect of the frozen
and chilled foods we market with this vision in mind.”
Johannes Baensch, Head of Global Product &
Technology Development, Nestec Ltd
Find out more about the new centre.
Nestlé in society – Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015 48