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Unilever, Coca-Cola, Mondelez, PepsiCo selling less healthy products in India: Report

Unilever, Coca-Cola, Mondelez, PepsiCo selling less healthy products in India: Report

What's the news?

A new report by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that four major food and beverage companies – Unilever, Coca-Cola, Mondelez, and PepsiCo – are selling less healthy products in India than they do in other countries.

Why is this important?

The report's findings are important because they suggest that these companies are contributing to the growing problem of obesity and related health problems in India.

Obesity is a major health problem in India

According to the World Health Organization, obesity is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. In India, the prevalence of obesity has been increasing rapidly in recent years. A 2015 study found that over 13% of Indian adults are obese.

Food and beverage companies play a role in the obesity epidemic

Food and beverage companies play a significant role in the obesity epidemic by marketing unhealthy products to consumers. These products are often high in calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats. They are also often heavily marketed to children.

The CSE report

The CSE report analyzed the nutritional content of over 1,000 products sold by Unilever, Coca-Cola, Mondelez, and PepsiCo in India. The report found that:

• 70% of the products sold by these companies in India are high in calories
• 60% of the products sold by these companies in India are high in sugar
• 50% of the products sold by these companies in India are high in unhealthy fats

The report also found that these companies are marketing their unhealthy products to children. For example, the report found that Coca-Cola India uses popular cartoon characters to market its sugary drinks to children.

What needs to be done?

The CSE report calls on the Indian government to take action to address the problem of unhealthy food and beverage marketing. The report recommends that the government:

• Regulate the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children
• Impose taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages
• Provide subsidies for healthy foods

The CSE report also calls on food and beverage companies to take action to reduce the amount of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats in their products.

Conclusion

The CSE report is a wake-up call for the Indian government and food and beverage companies. The report's findings suggest that these companies are contributing to the growing problem of obesity and related health problems in India. The government and food and beverage companies need to take action to address this problem.