Nestlé, nutrition, health, CSR and education

Last Tuesday, Nov 16, the Chairman of Nestlé’s Board of Directors answered questions of Actares’ members on our campus. Many questions were about Nestlé’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) in terms of its production practices (e.g. use of water and child labor). However, I wondered about the demand side. Are food companies providing to customers sufficient information about their products so they can make informed decisions about their nutrition and health? No doubt there have significant developments in the last 15 years or so on the nutritional content of food and beverages. However, given the importance of nutrition for physical and psychological health (and its implications for national health systems and public deficits), it seems to me that this question merits further attention, not only in terms of corporations’ role but also in terms of national educational curricula.