Consumer Goods Forum makes progress against empowering consumer health
PARIS - The Consumer Goods Forum on Wednesday published results from its 2015 survey designed to measure where its members are in the implementation of its Health & Wellness Resolutions and Commitments. Results show that good progress has been made in a number of key areas, but members also openly acknowledge that more needs to be done to harness the consumer goods industry's collective power.
"With our collective action on Health & Wellness, more is now being done to help empower consumers across geographies to make informed decisions," stated Paul Bulcke, Nestlé CEO, and Dick Boer, Ahold CEO, in a joint statement. "However, we still have a long way to go. 2016 will be an important year for CGF members as we work to meet the commitments the industry has set itself. We will need to intensify the effort and we invite more companies to contribute to achieving our collective ambition. Our shoppers, consumers and employees expect us to play a leading role in inspiring healthier diets and lifestyles. We will continue to report on our progress."
The Resolutions and Commitments, approved by the CGF's Board of Directors in 2011 and 2014, respectively, look at specific areas where retailers and manufacturers can work together to drive positive change and help empower consumers to make informed choices for healthy diets and lifestyles. Two of the Commitments - on employee health and wellness and nutrition and product formulation - come to fruition at the end of this year and have a high priority to accomplish achievement.
Results from the survey - now in its third year and the only such global survey covering both retailers and consumer goods manufacturers - show that in 2015:
95% of respondents have established policies and activated programs on at least one of the CGF's three Health & Wellness Resolutions, while 74% have done so on all three;
The industry's health and wellness programs have reformulated 84,000 products, included the participation of 2.3 million employees and work with more than 5,000 communities around the globe; and
With regards to the four Health & Wellness Commitments: 49% of respondents have publicly communicated their nutrition and formulation policies; 55% of respondents have implemented employee health and wellness programs; 43% of respondents report that they have implemented the commitment on consumer information and product labelling; and 49% of relevant respondents report that they are publicly supporting the commitment on stopping targeted advertising to children.
The survey and report were developed in partnership with Deloitte.