The charter “d’engagements volontaires de progrès nutritionnel” (a voluntary commitment to nutritional progress) underlines Nestlé's determination to innovate and develop products with added nutritional value, said the leading breakfast cereal maker.
Laure Jolly- Zarrouk, head of nutrition at Nestlé Cereals told FoodNavigator.com that the charter encompasses commitments that Nestlé Cereals has been working on since 2005.
In addition, she said that its key objectives such as salt and sugar reduction targets are in compliance with the French government’s national health and nutrition scheme (PNNS).
According to the Nestlé Cereals France document, the manufacturer has set a target to increase the amount of wholegrain in its cereals range for children by 5 per cent, with the company claiming that fibre will become a significant component in its ongoing formulation efforts for healthier breakfast products.
In 2010, Nestlé launched a new range of cereals for adults called Nestlé Plus, which contains 100 per cent wholegrain. Jolly stressed that “since 2005, all of our cereals contain wholegrain. This is part of the PNNS recommendations to boost consumption of fibres”.
Part of the charter focuses on better communication between Nestlé and consumers including the establishment of a specific system of labelling and consumer information as well as nutrition tips.
It also supports training of Nestlé's employees on nutrition. Finally, it encourages the company to invest in nutritional programmes through the Nestlé Foundation in order to develop expertise and research on consumer dietary habits.