Fonterra Brands Nutrition Policy
Dairy is an important food group and a vital component of a balanced, nutritious diet. Milk itself is a provider of nearly all essential nutrients for people. It is the richest dietary source of calcium and also contributes many other essential nutrients including protein, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and zinc.
At Fonterra, dairy is our passion – it’s who we are and what we do best. With over 100 years of New Zealand expertise in developing nutritious dairy products, Fonterra Brands is dedicated to discovering new ways to deliver the unique health and wellness benefits of dairy.
As part of our commitment to providing “Dairy for Life”, we offer dairy products that meet the different health and wellness needs of our consumers’ all around the world. This is based on a belief in quality products, sound science and ‘doing what’s right’ by our consumers.
Our Nutrition Policy summarises the philosophy that is behind producing great dairy products and the commitment we make to our consumers everyday through the way we work. These principles are based on external health authority guidelines and have been reviewed and endorsed by independent scientific experts to shape the way we consistently approach product development, formulation and marketing.
Nutrition and Health Policy
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Product composition |
Use Fonterra Brands nutrition guideline criteria to develop products that are consistent with local Health Authority dietary guidelines. • Maintain dairy nutrient integrity (dairy protein and calcium) at optimal levels*. • Use minimum quantities of sugar and salt in all products without affecting taste and safety. • Evaluate fat levels in all products, appropriate for the nutritional status and age of the target consumer e.g. full fat milk for young children. • Introduce portion control to prevent over-consumption of products • Aim for 50% of the product portfolio meeting optimal choice criteria*. • Control the use of ingredients that may adversely affect health. • Create new dairy foods that are healthy and nutritious, and relevant to the modern consumer. • Select ingredients for specific health benefit. • Fortification – we fortify products with specific nutrients to address the specific needs of our consumers at different life stages e.g. pregnancy, childhood, elderly. • Use Fonterra Brands Nutrition guidelines* to evaluate all new product development projects. |
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Marketing practices |
• Ensure nutrition and health messages are an accurate assessment of scientific evidence. • Market foods in the context of a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy eating plan and regular physical activity. • Promote eating habits that are consistent with Health Authority guidelines. • Act responsibly when marketing products for children. • Seek support from independent and reputable experts. • Define the nutritional needs of consumers and identify product opportunities to address these needs. • Be transparent about where our foods fit within Fonterra Brands guideline categories – e.g. ‘optimal choice (green), moderate (amber) or occasional’ (red)*. |
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Consumer information/Labelling |
• Provide clear and accurate nutrition information panels on product labels. • Help consumers to make informed product choices by providing information on labels that is easy to read and easy to understand. • Provide nutrition and health information to consumers in a targeted way, addressing different health and lifestyle needs. • Ensure nutrition and health messages are an accurate assessment of the weight of scientific evidence. |
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Research and innovation |
• Develop a portfolio of food products that are healthy and nutritious. • Support research into nutritional science for product innovation. • Identify and consider global health and nutrition trends to influence product formulations. • Ensure all claims are scientifically substantiated. |
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Regulations |
• Actively work with key stakeholders to help develop food regulations. • Ensure compliance with existing national food regulations, food and nutrition policies and guidelines. |
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Employees/Lifestyle action
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• Provide a workplace environment that encourages healthy choices. • Establish and promote workplace schemes that encourage health and fitness among employees and their families. • Ensure that all employees understand the nutritional benefits of dairy foods. |
*Fonterra Brands Nutrition Guidelines are based on external health authority guidelines and current science for healthy eating.
They cover many aspects of formulations including added sugars, fat, salt & calories.
• Optimal choice products are consumed everyday and have lower levels of energy, fat, salt and sugar and must incorporate the unique benefits of dairy (Dairy protein and calcium). 2-3 serves can be consumed every day.
• Moderate choice products are consumed regularly as part of a balanced diet and allow moderate levels of energy, fat, salt and sugar. 1-2 serves can be consumed every day.
• Treat foods which are consumed occasionally may have higher energy, fat and sugar levels. No more that one serve per day recommended.
