New Survey Shows Consumers More Empowered Than Ever to Make Informed Lifestyle Choices

PARIS, January 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Members of The Consumer Goods Forum Report on Implementation of Health & Wellness Resolutions & Commitments; Industry Acknowledges More Still Needs to Be Done 

The Consumer Goods Forum ("CGF") today 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. The survey and report were developed in partnership with Deloitte.

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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 programmes 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 programmes have reformulated 84,000 products, included the participation of 2.3 million employees, and work with more than 5,000 communities around the globe;
• 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 programmes
  • 43% of respondents report that they have implemented the commitment on consumer information and product labelling
  • 49% of relevant respondents report that they are publicly supporting the commitment on stopping targeted advertising to children.

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.

Paul Bulcke, Nestlé CEO, and Dick Boer, Ahold CEO, and Board Co-Sponsors for the CGF's Health & Wellness Pillar, said, "With our collective action on Health & Wellness, more is now being done to help empower consumers across geographies to make informed decisions. 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".

Download 2016 Progress Report

About The Consumer Goods Forum 

The Consumer Goods Forum  (CGF) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serve the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 2.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board, which comprises 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs.