PepsiCo, HUL and other FMCG majors selling less healthy products in India, report reveals

New Delhi: A recent investigation by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI) has spotlighted a concerning trend in the Indian food market: multinational corporations like Nestle, PepsiCo and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) are reportedly selling products with lower nutritional quality in India compared to what they offer in wealthier nations.

The ATNI report, which was released to the public on Friday, assessed products from 30 major food and beverage companies worldwide, focusing on the disparity in health ratings based on the Health Star Rating (HSR) system used in Australia and New Zealand. This system ranks products from 0 to 5 stars, with higher scores indicating healthier choices. Products scoring above 3.5 are considered healthy.

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According to the findings, products in low-income countries like India score an average of 1.8 out of 5, significantly lower than the 2.3 average scored by the same companies' products in high-income countries. This discrepancy raises questions about the commitment of these global giants to nutritional equality across different economic markets.

PepsiCo, known for brands like Lay's chips and Tropicana juice, has set targets to enhance the nutritional profile of its products, notably in its European market. However, the report indicates that these efforts have not translated similarly in India. HUL, which markets products like Kwality Walls ice cream and Knorr soups, also showed a similar trend, with only 16% of its product portfolio meeting the healthier threshold, according to the study.