Nestlé ramps up nutrition push to fight childhood undernutrition

Nestlé Philippines is strengthening its nutrition advocacy efforts as child stunting remains a major public health concern, with the latest data from the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute showing elevated rates of chronic undernutrition among Filipino children.

The company said its approach combines fortified food products, nutrition education, healthier product formulations and partnerships to help address the nutritional needs of Filipino families.

Ivy Sicat, nutrition advocacy lead at Nestlé Philippines, said child stunting is more than being shorter than expected for a given age, as it can indicate inadequate nutrient intake needed for proper physical and cognitive development.

The 2025 Updating Survey from the DOST-FNRI showed that stunting affected 25.3 percent of children up to age 5 and 18.9 percent of school-age children aged 5 to 10. Micronutrient deficiencies also affect more than 75 percent of the population across age groups, Sicat said.

“These can affect a child’s learning, productivity, and long-term opportunities. For Nestlé, we see this both as a responsibility and also as an opportunity,” Sicat said.

In 2025, Nestlé Philippines delivered 25 billion fortified servings through brands including Milo, Chuckie, Maggi and Bear Brand to help consumers meet daily nutritional needs alongside a balanced diet and active lifestyle.

Nestlé has been reducing sugar in its products since 2017 and expanding its portfolio of sugar-free and no-added-sugar variants.

The company is also promoting healthier behaviors among children through the Nestlé Wellness Campus, launched in 2013 in partnership with the Department of Education.

“We bring together our products, programs, research and development, and partnerships to help enable healthier, happier lives today and for generations to come,” said Jose Uy III, Nestlé senior vice president and head of corporate affairs.