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
Healthy and affordable food G4-DMA, FP7
Addressing malnutrition
The double burden of malnutrition – undernutrition, as well as
overweight and obesity – continues to pose a significant threat
to public health in most parts of the world. Public health
authorities estimate that 2 billion people around the world
suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, the most prevalent
being iron, vitamin A, iodine and zinc. This form of
undernutrition occurs when the intake and absorption of
vitamins and minerals are too low to sustain good health and
development (i.e. causing a deviation from the blue line),
which disproportionately affects infants, young children and
women of childbearing age.
Micronutrient deficiencies are also referred to as ‘hidden
hunger’ by health professionals, as while hunger may not be
apparent, the consequences can be devastating: mental
impairment, poor health, low productivity and, in severe cases,
even death. Even mild to moderate deficiencies can affect a
person’s wellbeing and development. Childhood undernutrition
is estimated to cause 45% of child mortality, resulting
in more than 3 million deaths annually.
Malnutrition is a major concern for our stakeholders and
Nestlé is committed to addressing micronutrient deficiencies.
We have acquired considerable experience in enhancing the
micronutrient profile of our foods and beverages over the
decades. Nestlé principally focuses on the addition of deficient
micronutrients to foods that are nutritious, widely consumed,
accessible and affordable for target consumers, especially for
the low- to middle-income socio-economic groups in
developing regions.
Certain foods and beverages must be fortified in
accordance with international and national legislation (such as
BMSs, complementary foods and clinical nutrition
formulations.
Our Nestlé Policy on Micronutrient Fortification of Foods
& Beverages was revised in 2011 and 2015 to further
strengthen our commitment and is now publicly available.
We conduct research to see how our portfolio can positively
contribute to addressing micronutrient deficiencies. We work
closely with government and relevant partners to improve the
nutrition and health of our consumers, most notably mothers
and young children.
See more about vitamin deficiency.
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