By Jennifer Rigby

LONDON (Reuters) – The world’s biggest food and drink companies sell on average products in low-income countries that are less healthy than those sold in high-income countries, according to a new report.

Products sold by companies such as Nestle, Pepsico and Unilever were rated as part of a global index published by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI), its first since 2021.

The non-profit group found that across 30 companies, products sold in low-income countries scored lower on a star rating system developed in Australia and New Zealand than those sold in high-income countries.

In the Health Star Rating system, products are ranked out of 5 based on health status, with 5 being the best and a score above 3.5 considered to be a healthier choice.

In low-income countries, MNC portfolios rated 1.8 per system. In high-income countries, where more products were tested, they were 2.3.

“It’s a very clear picture that what these companies are selling in the poorest countries in the world, where they are increasingly active, are not healthy products,” Mark Wijne, director of research at ATNI, said in an interview for Reuters.

“It’s a wake-up call for governments in these countries to be vigilant,” he added.

It is the first time that the index splits the rating into low-income and high-income countries.

ATNI said the index is important because packaged foods are increasingly playing a role in the obesity crisis, which is now a global phenomenon. More than one billion people worldwide live with obesity, according to the World Health Organization. The World Bank estimates that 70% of overweight or obese people live in low- and middle-income countries.

“We are committed to increasing sales of more nutritious foods as well as guiding people toward more balanced diets,” a Nestle spokesperson said by email, adding that Nestle is also fortifying products to help closing nutrient gaps in developing countries.

A PepsiCo spokesman declined to comment. The company last year set new goals to reduce sodium in its potato chips and add ingredients like whole grains to its foods.

(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Additional reporting by Jessica DiNapoli and Richa Naidu; Editing by Christina Fincher)