PepsiCo & HUL are selling less healthy products in India, report reveals

PepsiCo and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) are among major multinational food companies selling products of inferior nutritional value in India compared to their offerings in wealthy countries, according to a new report.

The Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI), a global non-profit organisation, found that these corporate giants, alongside Danone and other international brands, are marketing products with significantly lower health ratings in low-income markets.

The investigation, as reported by Reuters, revealed a stark disparity in nutritional standards, with products sold in poorer nations scoring an average of 1.8 out of 5 on the Health Star Rating system, whilst identical brands in high-income countries achieved a markedly better score of 2.3.

India, alongside other developing nations such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and the Philippines, appears to be receiving products of lesser nutritional value. The ATNI index, which assessed 30 major food companies including PepsiCo, Unilever, Danone, and Nestle among others, is the first of its kind to differentiate between products sold in wealthy versus low-income nations.

The Health Star Rating system, developed in Australia and New Zealand, considers a score above 3.5 as "healthier"—a benchmark that products in developing markets consistently failed to approach.

This revelation raises serious concerns about corporate double standards in global food marketing, particularly in vast markets like India, where packaged food consumption continues to rise rapidly.

The findings, released on Friday, mark the first comprehensive analysis by ATNI since 2021 and suggest that multinational food companies may be prioritising profit over nutritional equality in developing markets.