Unilever on Wednesday said that it will be cutting its food waste in half and raising nutritional standards across its brands. This came as the company announced a new set of targets for its global foods and refreshment business. The targets are part of Unilever’s ‘Future Foods’ ambition, which has two key objectives: to help people transition towards healthier diets and to help reduce the environmental impact of the food chain.
The global commitments include: Halving food waste in Unilever’s direct operations from factory to shelf by 2025 – five years earlier than previously committed as part of the Champions 12.3 target; doubling the number of products delivering positive nutrition - defined as products containing impactful amounts of vegetables, fruits, proteins, or micronutrients like vitamins, zinc, iron and iodine - by 2025 and continued lowering of calorie, salt and sugar levels across all products.
In addition to the above commitments, Unilever also announced a global sales target of €1 billion from its plant-based meat and dairy alternatives business that is present in several Unilever countries outside India, within the next five to seven years. This growth in plant-based alternatives is anticipated through offerings such as The Vegetarian Butcher and vegan alternatives from brands including Hellmann’s, Magnum and Wall’s.
Explaining how the global targets address several issues in India, Sudhir Sitapati, Executive Director Foods and Refreshment, Hindustan Unilever Limited said, “Through the new commitments, we aim to create healthier and fortified foods that will address the challenges of unbalanced diet and micronutrient deficiency in India. As India’s leading Foods and Refreshment company, which spends around 25% of all food advertising on television in India, HUL will help lead a food processing revolution in the country that is healthier, safer and has less wastage. The new nutrition portfolio including Horlicks and Boost, our latest launch of Hellmann’s along with our purpose driven brands such as Kissan, Knorr and Brooke Bond Red Label will lead these commitments through innovations and communication.”
Unilever’s new targets support commitments the company made earlier: achieving a deforestation-free supply chain; moving to 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025; investing €1 billion in a new Climate & Nature Fund; and supporting net-zero emissions for all products by 2039.