By Richa Naidu
LONDON (Reuters) – Packaged food offers a secure source of quality nutrition and aids in minimizing wastage, as stated by Nestle’s CEO on Thursday while defending his company’s products amidst criticisms raised by incoming U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The U.S. Senate has progressed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, positioning a probable vote for his appointment in the near future.
If approved, as anticipated, by the Republican-led Senate, Kennedy, aged 71, would assume leadership of the nation’s key health agency responsible for overseeing entities such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During his own presidential campaign, Kennedy expressed his intention to “Make America Healthy Again” and pinpointed Kellogg’s Fruit Loops cereal in a November interview.
Nestle, being the world’s largest packaged foods conglomerate, boasts a wide array of products including KitKat snacks, Nescafe coffee, Maggi noodles, and Purina pet foods. CEO Laurent Freixe emphasized the significance of the U.S. market to the company, affirming vigilance amid the evolving situation. Freixe defended packaged foods asserting their crucial role in providing safe sustenance, maintaining food quality, and combatting food wastage.
Addressing concerns of food insecurity and foodborne illnesses, Freixe underscored the pivotal role packaged foods play in averting such issues. While acknowledging Nestle’s alignment with Kennedy’s emphasis on nutrition and health, Freixe highlighted the company’s commitment to promoting healthy and well-balanced diets.
(Reporting by Richa Naidu; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
