Move to 100% Simplified Ingredients; Increased vegetables; Micronutrient Fortification; Reduction of Salt and Saturated Fat
Beirut, 12 October 2017: Nutritionists from across Lebanon gathered in Beirut for a scientific discussion hosted by Nestlé Middle East, focused on innovative means to provide solely 100% simplified ingredients in packaged food.
The gathering highlighted how iconic brand MAGGI is leading the way in providing tastier and healthier food, as part of its efforts towards achieving a number of the 20 commitments to society published by Nestlé Middle East: to “Simplify our ingredients list,” “Help reduce the risk of under-nutrition through micronutrient fortification,” further “Reduce salt, sugar, and saturated fats in our products,” and “Increase vegetables, fibre-rich grains, pulses, nuts and seeds in our products.”
MAGGI is moving towards including only ingredients people know and love in their products, ones they can likely find in their “Kitchen Cupboard,” as the initiative behind the transformation journey is named.
“Decades of research and development investments have enabled MAGGI to reformulate and innovate its portfolio to offer products that only include familiar ingredients, all while meeting strict nutritional criteria and maintaining the taste that consumers have loved over generations,” said Sarah Kanaan, Nutrition, Health & Wellness Manager at Nestlé Middle East.
Already, the full range of Mixes, Excellence Soups, and the newly launched Chicken Stock with Natural Herbs are meeting the Kitchen Cupboard criteria. By 2020, all MAGGI products will have achieved the same criteria.
Salt is also been gradually reduced from the product portfolio, to help people stick to the World Health Organization’s recommendation of no more than 5 grams of salt per day. Spices, herbs, evolving culinary techniques to boost flavor, lead to a 15% reduction of sodium across MAGGI products in the past three years.
In addition, Trans fats have been completely eliminated from products, and saturated fats are continuously being reduced with an objective to further reduce them by 2020.
In 2016, MAGGI delivered 5.1 billion servings fortified with iodine, one of the essential nutrients that are deficient in the region. Its goal is to increase that to 5.4 billion servings per year by 2020.
“Our efforts are relentless to continue crafting products only with ingredients you know and love; to put nutrition at the heart of what we do by reducing salt & fat, increasing fortification, and adding more wholesome ingredients such as oats and lentils; caring from field to home; and passing on the goodness of homemade cooking,” concluded Kanaan.
About Nestlé Middle East
Nestlé Middle East’s heritage goes back over 80 years to 1934 when the first import operation was set up in Lebanon. Today, Nestlé Middle East owns and operates 18 factories and provides direct employment to more than 13,000 employees who are all committed to Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. It also provides indirect employment to several thousand more.
The Nestlé portfolio in the region currently exceeds 60 innovative product brands in a wide range of categories: dairy products and infant nutrition, bottled water, chocolate and confectionery, coffee creamers, breakfast cereals, culinary products, health science, skin health, and Pet Care, among others. Nestlé Nido, Nestlé NAN, S-26, Progress, Maggi, Nescafé, Kit Kat, Coffeemate, Nestlé Cerelac, Nestlé Fitness, Nestlé Pure Life, Nespresso, Optifast and Cetaphil are just some of the brands available in the Middle East.
For more about Nestlé Middle East activities, please visit the following pages:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NestleMiddleEast
Twitter: www.twitter.com/NestleMe
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/nestleme/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NestleMiddleEast
Website: www.nestle-me.com
Nestlé in Society report: www.nestle-me.com/en/csv
For more information on MAGGI activities, please visit:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiarabia/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MAGGIArabia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaggiArabia/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaggiArabia
Snapchat: MAGGIArabia
Website: www.maggime.com