Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe made the case for packaged foods just hours before Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known critic of processed food, was confirmed as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services.
Frexie said that packaged food is “very important for mankind,” as it provides safe and nutritious food to many people around the world, while reducing food waste, Reuters reported.
His comments were made after Nestle, the world’s largest packaged food seller, posted its fourth quarter earnings. The company known for brands like Kit Kats, Nescafé, and Nesquik, reported that organic sales grew 2.2% in 2024, well below the growth of 7.2% in 2023.
“The U.S. is very, very important to us, and we are monitoring the situation,” Freixe said when he was asked if the company had been in touch with Kennedy.
He added, that the company shares some common goals with Kennedy, specifically when it comes to nutrition and health.
“This is our goal as well. We are all for good diets, diverse diets and nutrient-rich diets,” Freixe said.
The U.S. Senate voted 52 to 48 on Thursday to confirm Kennedy as the nation’s health secretary. In his new role, Kennedy will oversee a number of the country’s health agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
After President-elect Donald Trump named Kennedy as his pick to lead HHS, several packaged food stocks took a hit including Nestle, Kellogg (K+0.05%), and Coca-Cola (KO+1.08%). Kennedy has long-decried the use of artificial ingredients and additives in processed food. In November, he criticized the ingredients and food-dyes used in the children’s cereal Fruit Loops.
Steve Presley, the CEO of Nestle’s North America business, told Reuters last year, that he was “less concerned” with Kennedy’s previous rhetoric against the industry and suggested that the company could actually work with him.
“If you step back from some of the emotional issues, what he believes in is more regenerative, cleaner agriculture, which we fully believe in,” Presley said.
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