THE INTERNATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE ALLIANCE ENTERS ITS SECOND DECADE OF PROGRESS ON NUTRITION AND HEALTH
Latest progress report details leading food and beverage companies’ advancement on empowering consumers to eat balanced diets and live healthy lives.
Geneva, Switzerland, 4 November, 2019: The International Food & Beverage Alliance (IFBA) released its 2018 progress report today, which details its member companies’ progress on improving global health and its work in support of the UN Sustainble Development Goals.
IFBA was founded over a decade ago when CEOs of leading food and non-alcoholic beverage companies joined together in a pledge to take action in areas recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the public health community as crucial to improving global health: product reformulation and innovation; clear and comprehensive nutrition information; responsible marketing; and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Since 2008, the twelve companies of IFBA – The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, Ferrero, General Mills, Grupo Bimbo, Kellogg’s, Mars, McDonald’s, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Unilever – have worked together towards improving global health and well-being.
The 2018 Progress Report details members’ actions to fulfil IFBA’s core commitments to improve the nutrition of foods and beverages, address the double burden of malnutrition, improve nutrition information to consumers and market responsibly. The report also highlights examples of public-private collaborations that are working to improve the health and well-being of consumers and communities worldwide.
Highlights
Transforming food and beverage portfolios. IFBA members are constantly innovating to improve the nutrition of their products – reducing salt, sugar and fat and increasing whole grains, fibre, fruits and vegetables – offering smaller portions and package sizes to help with portion control and creating new products to address changing consumer needs.
- 99.6% of industrially produced trans fat (iTFA) has been removed from IFBA members’ global portfolios, on an aggregated basis at the end of 2018 (meeting IFBA’s 2016 commitment). In May 2018, IFBA supported the call by WHO and Resolve to Save Lives to eliminate iTFAs from the global food supply by 2023 and in 2019, IFBA aligned its global standard with the WHO’s recommendation for a maximum iTFA threshold in food products not exceeding 2 grams of iTFA per 100 grams of fat or oil by 2023.
Clear & Comprehensive Nutrition Information. Members have enhanced product labels and online and point-of-sale communications with clear, comprehensive, accessible information on nutrition and consumption guidance – so that consumers can make informed choices.
- 98% of IFBA members’ products globally display nutritional information on-pack.
- 91% of IFBA members’ products globally display calories front-of-pack.
Responsible Marketing. IFBA companies do not advertise to children under 12 years of age, or if they do, they only promote better-for-you products.
- IFBA encourages others in our industry around the world to follow our lead and improve the standards on marketing to children with the adoption of regional and local marketing pledges based on the IFBA Global Policy on Marketing Communications to Children. At the end of 2018, regional and local marketing pledges had been implemented in 51 countries.
Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles. IFBA members support and create employee and community programmes that promote healthy lifestyles and balanced diets, and partner with stakeholders worldwide in initiatives designed to provide a health promoting environment.
