Nestlé in the U.S. Releases 2015 Creating Shared Value Report

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 7, 2016 /3BL Media/ – Nestlé in the United States today released its 2015 Creating Shared Value Report announcing the company’s achievements in nutrition, health and wellness; environmental sustainability; water; rural development and responsible sourcing; and social impact in 2015, as well as its new objectives and commitments for the U.S. market. Since last year’s report, Nestlé has achieved 11 previously identified objectives and added 16 new forward-looking goals to positively impact the lives of millions of people through products and services, employment and economies. New achievements include continuing industry leadership in nutrition and health research, as well as reaching zero waste to landfill status in 35 factories in the U.S., comprising 40% of the Company’s 2020 target.

As the world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé continues its strong commitment to nutrition research and innovation to meet evolving consumer preferences. Nestlé reformulated 1,222 food and pet products in 2015 to reduce sodium, sugar, trans fat, and artificial colors and flavors, and increase essential nutrients.

“Actions speak louder than words, which is why we are so pleased to share our progress against commitments in the 2015 Nestlé in the U.S. Created Shared Value Report,” said Paul Grimwood, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA. “Nestlé is deeply committed to Creating Shared Value in the communities where we do business. We’re proud of the progress we made in 2015 and excited to build upon that foundation as we work to continue to improve sustainability in the communities where we work and operate.”

Highlights from the 2015 report include:

• Responsible sourcing: Nestlé completed 522 supplier audits in the U.S., 115% of the company’s 2015 target. This resulted in a three-year total of 1,419 completed audits, of which 1,275 (89%) were compliant to the Nestlé Responsible Sourcing Program.
   
• Cage-free eggs: Nestlé continued its efforts toward improving farm animal welfare and pledged to use exclusively cage-free eggs in the U.S. in food and beverage portfolio by 2020, establishing an accelerated timeline compared to many industry peers.
   
• Supporting the economy: Nestlé paid more than $1.9 billion to 7,214 small, minority, women and veteran-owned businesses and helped sustain jobs across the country.
   
• Reducing water usage: By creating efficiencies and reducing waste, Nestlé factories will employ new techniques projected to save 144 million gallons of water annually.

Completed objectives from the 2015 report include:
 

• Children’s nutrition research: In 2015, Nestlé fielded its Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) and Kids Nutrition and Health Study (KHNS) to collect key insights and develop deeper understanding on children’s (ages 0–12) dietary intake and lifestyle habits in the U.S.
   
• Encouraging healthy eating for infants and toddlers: Through the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy™ Early Childhood Nutrition program, Nestlé continued its work in obesity prevention and trained a combined 257 caregivers and students. This was done in partnership with Rutgers University-Newark, Program for Parents Inc., the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions and Woodlawn Foundation.
   
• Rolling out the Cocoa Plan: Nestlé expanded sourcing through its Nestlé Cocoa Plan in the U.S. to supply UTZ-certified, sustainable cocoa equal to the amount needed to produce 100% of the 2015 Easter confections line of chocolates and 100% of NESQUIK® Ready-to-Drink beverages.
   
• Improving the green coffee supply chain: Nestlé achieved its goal to source 100% 4C-verified coffee beans for NESCAFÉ® products produced and sold in the U.S.

New 2016 objectives from the report include:[1]

• Nutrition education: By 2016, Nestlé will reach 10,000 thought leaders (including registered dieticians and fitness professionals) with Balance Your Plate tools and resources through outreach and education. Nestlé in the U.S. will also directly engage with 45 thought leaders and provide consumer-facing materials to increase the program’s impact.
• Assessing and addressing human rights impacts in its supply chain: By 2016, Nestlé will continue to participate in multi-stakeholder efforts to identify further solutions and implement collaborative actions to address the issue of forced labor in Thailand’s seafood supply chain.
• Increasing efficiency in water usage: By 2017, Nestlé will identify priority suppliers in our dairy supply chain and engage in discussions about increasing the efficiency of water use in dairy production.
• Hiring more veterans: By 2017, the Company plans to establish Nestlé as an Employer of Choice for veterans.

To learn more about the Nestlé in the U.S. 2015 Creating Shared Value report, please visit www.nestleusa.com/csv.

About Nestlé in the U.S.

Nestlé in the United States is committed to being a trusted leader in nutrition, health and wellness. Our diverse portfolio of food and beverage products provide nutritious options for every member of the family, including infants, toddlers, teens and adults, mature adults, and dogs and cats. Nestlé in the U.S. consists of eight main businesses: Nestlé USA, Nestlé Waters North America, Nestlé Nutrition, Nestlé Professional, Nespresso, Nestlé Health Science, Nestlé Skin Health and Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. Together, these companies operate in more than 120 locations in 47 states and employ over 51,000 people. The United States is Nestlé S.A.’s largest market with combined product sales in the United States totaling more than $26 billion in 2015.

Nestlé is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2016, and we’re commemorating our legacy by honoring our past and rich history, engaging the present with our customers and consumers and looking forward to the future with our commitment to Creating Shared Value and Nutrition, Health and Wellness. For more information, visit Nestleusa.com/csv or Facebook.com/NestleUSA.

###

[1]All forward-looking dates should assume that the objective will be completed by December 31 of the corresponding year.