Consumer Goods Companies Make 'Significant Improvement' in Supporting Healthier Lives

Data from the 2019 Health & Wellness Progress Report, developed in conjunction with Deloitte, shows progress in all categories and significant improvement in achievement of all the CGF's Health & Wellness commitments.

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The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) published the latest results from its global survey that looks at how consumer goods retailers and manufacturers are helping to empower healthier consumers worldwide. Data from the 2019 Health & Wellness Progress Report, developed in conjunction with Deloitte, shows progress in all categories and significant improvement in achievement of all the CGF's Health & Wellness commitments.

This is the fifth edition of the report, which measures progress on the CGF's resolutions and commitments. The five years' worth of results show that CGF members are meeting consumers' expectations and fulfilling the industry's ambition to empower consumers to lead healthier lives. More specifically, the 2018 data shows:

  • 98 percent of companies reported reformulating at least some part of their product portfolio to align with health and wellness policies. Since 2015 over 320,000 products have been reformulated.
  • Over 70 percent of companies reported reformulating salt and sugar in their products.
  • 84 percent of companies reported that their personal care and hygiene products display clear product usages on packaging.
  • Almost two million employees participated in health and wellness initiatives in 2018 versus 1.6 million in 2017 and 1.3 million in 2016.
  • 61 percent participated in food bank programs (nearly 93,000 tonnes of food donated).
  • Partnerships with education authorities on health and wellness initiatives for over 550,000 schools.

"We've come a long way since this survey began five years ago, but, we are not finished yet and there is still much to do. It is great to see how, in the communities where our members work and live, companies and their employees are taking greater interest than ever in health and wellness issues. It proves that as we move into our next five-year plan, collaborative actions will continue to be a force for good and an essential component of driving positive change at scale," says Sharon Bligh, Director, Health & Wellness at The Consumer Goods Forum. "Consumers and our employees want to be empowered to make changes to their health and wellbeing, so they can live healthy and more active lifestyles for longer. People are craving change, and we recognize our industry's role in both preventing illness and in empowering people to live healthier lives."

As part of the next five-year plan, focus will evolve to the team's flagship initiative 'Collaboration for Healthier Lives' (CHL). Through collaboration, CGF members will test new approaches and share best practices in nudging people's behaviour to healthier practices. CGF members are recognizing the immense potential of community-based initiatives and the need for greater transparency to deliver meaningful behavior change, a move supported by the survey data collected over the last few years.

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