Nestlé redesigns Maggie, reduces salt

NESTLE Central and West Africa Region (CWAR) says it is committed to redesigning its Maggi product, with the reduction of salt content, using more familiar and common ingredients.

Dominique Allier, Business Executive Officer Culinary for Nestlé Central and West Africa, said in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

This announcement was made at a Nutrition Forum for stakeholders across West and Central Africa, in Dakar, Senegal.

He said that the redesigning is part of Nescafe’s mission to support home cooking with healthier and tastier choices, by simplifying ingredients lists, reducing salt and increasing micro-nutrient fortification.

“Consumer expectations are changing.’’

“They want products with common ingredients they know, minimal processing, natural or organic and ideally locally produced. Our company has a role to play in contributing to the needs of the society.

“To do so, Maggi is reorganising its supply chain to privilege local sourcing of ingredients,’’ Allier said.

Allier further said, “A careful selection of each ingredient will uphold the quality of Maggi products and meet the homemade cooking standards of our consumers around the world.

“In Central and West Africa Region, 100 per cent of Maggi products will be made with more common and familiar ingredients that consumers love and will be adapted to local tastes and food cultures.

“Micro-nutrients fortification in the Maggi range will also be strengthened; fortification is a means Maggi uses to help prevent malnutrition in countries where daily consumption of essential micro-nutrients is lacking.

“In addition to iron fortification, the company will continue to improve the nutritional profile of its products, reducing the salt content in its Maggi tablets and cubes in the region by two.

“This will contribute to help people in their efforts towards reducing their salt intake and meeting WHO recommendations on reducing risks associated with high blood pressure.’’

He said that in 2016, Nestlé provided 65 billion of fortified servings in CWAR, out of which Maggi delivered over 100 million iron fortified cubes daily to 78 million households in CWAR.

He added that the organisation will also highlight nutritional challenges by engaging with government authorities, civil society and consumers.

Allier said that this can be achieved through diverse engagement strategies.

“In the Central and West Africa region, we will engage with 50 million women in nutrition related activities directly via in-person and social media channels.

“Maggi will create more value for the society and environment by reducing the weight of Maggi wrappers by 13 per cent in the region; this will represent around 300 reduction of packaging material by 2020.

“The work done with the 300, 000 “mammies’’ (Maggi-sellers) in Central and West Africa will continue around the support through micro-enterprise management and access to health through vaccination programs.

“The company will enrol 30.000 cassava and soya farmers in its training program and enable the local sourcing of 100 per cent of its needs in soya beans and cassava flour.

“We are driven by our purpose to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future.

“The Maggi brand is a key lever to achieve our ambition through strong and bold commitments we have made in Central and West Africa Region,’’ Allier said.