FDBusiness.com

Nestlé USA is among 16 leading US food and beverage companies which sold 6.4 trillion fewer calories in the US in 2012 than they did in 2007, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The companies, acting together as the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, pledged to remove 1 trillion calories from the marketplace by 2012, and 1.5 trillion by 2015.

The Foundation’s independent evaluation found that the companies have exceeded their 2015 pledge by more than 400 percent.

Nestlé USA has contributed to the effort in a number of ways:

* Since 2000, there has been a reduction in added sugar in Nestlé Nesquik chocolate powder by over 25%. The brand will continue to reduce the amount of added sugar by another 15 to 20% in 2014.

* Stouffer’s has been working with top chefs across the country to reduce the amount of oil in its sauces while maintaining the same great flavour, and also adding colourful nutrient-dense vegetables to its meals.

* Nestlé USA offers more than 30 ice cream products that are portion and calorie-controlled including Dreyer’s Slow Churned snack-size cups, Nestlé Drumstick Lil’Drums and Häagen-Dazs single-serve cups and bars. Research indicates that consumers tend to eat at least twice the recommended serving of ice cream when consuming from a multi-serving carton, so portion-controlled products reduce calories and help educate people about appropriate portion size.

“We’ve made great progress across our portfolio of brands in finding creative solutions for product reformulations and lower calorie options,” says Chavanne Hanson, Wellness Champion for Nestlé USA.

“Our role in surpassing the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation pledge of 1.5 trillion calories demonstrates our commitment to be recognized and trusted as the leading nutrition, health and wellness company in the USA and delivering world class products to our consumers.”