Ferrero commitment to nutrition: supporting a balanced and varied diet and an active lifestyle

Ferrero commitment to nutrition: supporting a balanced and varied diet and an active lifestyle

There has been an understandable focus in recent years on the challenge of obesity in the UK from policy makers, the media and consumers alike. The problem is undoubtedly a complex one with multiple contributing factors, and many stakeholders, including industry, has a role to play in the solution.

The UK has the highest level of obesity in Western Europe, but the fact is that there is no single cause. Poor diets, longer working hours, more sedentary jobs and less physical exercise are all factors. This is a trend that begins in childhood – now, only 20% of children meet the recommended physical activity guidelines, and the same percentage of children will be classed as obese before they leave primary school.

At Ferrero we take our responsibility as a confectionery maker very seriously. We believe that all foods can be part of a balanced and varied diet. Where consumers want to limit their calorie intake, we believe the best way we can play a role in that process is through offering small portions. Our responsibilities don’t stop there: we will always aim to use the best quality raw ingredients and regularly engage with consumers and the medical-scientific community with research and education programmes.

Three principles for a balanced lifestyle
The three core nutritional principles which underpin everything we do at Ferrero are:
Eat a balanced and varied diet: there’s no such thing as a “good” or “bad” food, only good or bad diets.
Eat in moderate quantities: small portion sizes allow you to enjoy the foods you love as part of a balanced diet. That’s why more than 95% of Ferrero products contain less than 150kcal per portion.
Be physically active every day: exercise is a vital part of any balanced and varied lifestyle, particularly for children.

We know that our products contribute calories to our consumers’ diets, and so we believe it is the right thing to do to look at encouraging calories out. Our global flagship CSR programme Kinder + Sport is now present in 28 countries around the world, and has encouraged 4.4million children to discover the joy of moving. In the UK, we partner with the English Football League Trust to deliver the + Sport programme, which in five years has now reached over 200,000 children. At the heart of + Sport is the Move and Learn project, an intensive 6 week programme delivered in schools, educating children on the fundamentals of nutrition and the importance of physical activity. All content delivered as part of Move and Learn is non-branded and independently verified.

The importance of science and education

Move and Learn is just one example of how we demonstrate our commitment to education as the key to setting up good nutritional habits. Other examples include our Nutritional Identity Card, available for over 85% of our products, which explain nutritional content relative to daily consumption guidelines, so that consumers can understand how our products can fit as part of their overall energy intake.

The emphasis on education also extends to the medical-scientific community. We have invested a great deal over the years into independent research with several internationally recognised scientific institutes. We believe it is important to stay abreast of developments in nutritional science. The science behind nutrition is so important to the company that in 2011, Ferrero established a committee devoted solely to this area. It features managers from all departments, meets monthly, and presents recommendations directly to the CEO.

For more information on Ferrero’s unique nutritional philosophy and our growing range of initiatives to promote wellbeing, please visit our CSR website.