Danone talks ‘industry leading’ approach to infant nutrition after securing top spot in responsible marketing index

ATNI, hosted by independent non-profit Access to Nutrition Foundation, hopes to encourage the private sector to accelerate action to improve diet and nutrition globally. It produces the Global Access to Nutrition Indexes that focus on the role that food and beverage manufacturers play in making healthy food affordable and accessible to all.

This year saw the organisation decide to publish the BSM/CF Index as stand-alone research, rather than a chapter within the global report. This reflects ‘the critical importance of the health and nutrition of infants and young children’, the NGO explained.

The results are in. Of the world’s six largest baby food manufacturers, Danone ranked number one for its responsible marketing policies ahead of peers Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, Reckitt, Abbot and Friesland Campina.

ATNI 2021 Index

BMS/CF Marketing Index 2021 / Source: ATNI

ATNI rates companies based on both corporate policy and in-country assessments.

ATNI noted Danone’s work to strengthen overarching commitments to responsible marketing, particularly with regard to implementation by affiliates across the globe.

While Danone didn’t take the award for most improved marketing policy – which went to Kraft Heinz with a jump from 0{b4bb8ddb70249670c85c66def16f765bd40a90ddaa69bcee7e340d9a7e1b07a9} to 38{b4bb8ddb70249670c85c66def16f765bd40a90ddaa69bcee7e340d9a7e1b07a9} – the French dairy giant demonstrated strong improvement between 2018 and 2021, rising 22{b4bb8ddb70249670c85c66def16f765bd40a90ddaa69bcee7e340d9a7e1b07a9} to 68{b4bb8ddb70249670c85c66def16f765bd40a90ddaa69bcee7e340d9a7e1b07a9}.

This process of improvement is important to Danone.

“We welcome external assessment and monitoring. It holds us to account and helps us to continuously improve how we market baby formula responsibly. We are proud to be recognized by ATNI for the progress that led us to achieve the number one position in the 2021 Index,”​ commented Magdalena Broseta, VP General Counsel Specialized Nutrition for Danone.