ATNI calls for affordable nutrition as low-income countries face food disparities

The Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI) discovered “only marginal improvements” in critical metrics, such as the healthiness of product portfolios, compared to its 2021 Global Access to Nutrition Index. Its latest version of this index indicates that the healthiness of portfolios was lowest in low-income countries, highlighting product offerings’ disparities among markets and income groups.

By 2030, ATNI urges companies to derive at least half their sales from healthy products, which 30% of companies currently do. 

The report advises: “As regulation intensifies and consumers and investors call for improved accountability, companies with healthier product portfolios will be better positioned for long-term success, while those failing to adapt face material risk.”

The fifth edition of the index also reveals progress in portfolio healthiness. More companies are using internationally recognized Nutrient Profiling Models (NPMs) to classify products as healthier and set targets to improve their portfolios. In addition, consumers are increasingly purchasing more nutritious products. 

“‘Health is wealth.’ We know this is true, but most food companies have not yet placed nutrition as core to their business. There is progress, but our findings show overall subpar performance and weaknesses in the market,” says Greg Garrett, executive director of ATNI. 

He stresses that fundamental changes in the food system are vital to ending malnutrition. “The food industry stands at a pivotal crossroads. Embracing nutrition is no longer an option but essential.”

The report concludes: “One in five deaths globally is linked to poor diet, highlighting the urgent need for greater corporate accountability and improved private sector performance as the hidden costs of our food system continue to mount.”

Global Access to Nutrition Index

ATNI analyzed 52,414 products from the 30 largest food and beverage manufacturers in this year’s index, representing a 23% global market share. Using the Health Star Rating (HSR) system, the team assessed products’ healthiness with a “healthier” threshold of 3.5 stars out of a possible five. 

HSR considers energy, saturated fat, sodium and sugar and foods’ “positive” aspects, such as fruit and vegetable content, fiber, calcium and protein. The system rates products from 0.5 stars (least healthy) to 5 stars (most healthy). 

In addition to companies using NPMs to classify foods as “healthier,” 37% of companies have set age thresholds for product marketing, and 30% have “some form of an affordable nutrition strategy.” For all companies combined, 34% of sales derived from healthier products, below ATNI’s goal for 2030. 

ATNI cautions that healthy diets remain unaffordable for 52% of households in low- and middle-income countries.Affordable nutrition

Overall, food product healthiness was much lower in low- and middle-income countries, scoring an HSR of 1.8 compared to an HSR of 2.3 in high-income countries. In addition, micronutrient data was available in low- and middle-income countries for a smaller proportion of products — 36–37% compared to 53% in high-income countries. 

ATNI notes that 30% of companies have strategies to make part of their “healthier” portfolio more affordable, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. However, only two companies use internationally recognized models to define “healthier” products. The report finds significant gaps to support the implementation of strategies, which primarily apply to a limited range of products and markets. 

“A lack of standardized guidance and metrics hinders progress on affordable nutrition,” cautions the report. The authors note that companies’ approaches to the issue are “mostly exploratory,” reducing their motivation to report comprehensively on their efforts. 

Moreover, the report highlights the need for clearer international guidance on measuring the affordability of healthy packaged foods. ATNI recommends companies use a formal, market-specific process linked to a definition of a lower-income consumer to determine affordable nutrition.

In a recent webinar with Nutrition Insight, Innova Market Insights spotted Nutrition for All Budgets as one of the top five nutrition trends for 2025. 

Improving products’ healthiness

The report reveals that all companies must make improvements to fully address nutrition challenges, with company performance on access to nutrition varying widely. 

Several dairy companies, such as Yili Group, Danone, Mengniu, FrieslandCampina, Lactalis, and Arla Foods, and other food companies, such as Barilla, Meiji, and Conagra, reached ATNI’s target of achieving at least 50% of sales from healthier products.

The initiative urges companies to improve product portfolio healthiness and fully disclose sales from healthy and unhealthy products.Unilever, Indofood, Ajinomoto, Nissin, Mars, Mondelez, Lotte, Hershey and Ferrero Group achieved less than 10% of sales from healthier products. 

“Only 31% of the 52,000+ food products assessed by ATNI meet the health criteria. This is not good enough. Companies need to start demonstrating better that they care about the public health of their consumer base,” comments Jessica Fanzo, professor of Climate and director of the Food for Humanity Initiative, Columbia University, US. 

Stakeholder actions key to change

ATNI notes that companies, investors and policymakers have a role in transforming the food system to ensure “nutritious, affordable food is available for all.” 

The organization calls on food and beverage manufacturers to evaluate their portfolios on responsible marketing to children, healthiness and affordability, set targets to transform their portfolios and disclose key data on healthier product sales. 

Although the quality, coverage and transparency of reporting on portfolio healthiness vary significantly, a shift toward using internationally recognized NPMs reflects a growing appetite for reporting against international standards. Currently, 20% of companies report on overall percentages of global sales based on an NPM. 

According to the initiative, voluntary industry regulations should be supported with mandatory policies and fiscal measures to improve access to nutritious foods. 

It calls on governments and policymakers to regulate and build an enabling environment that helps companies protect public health by making healthier foods more affordable and less healthy foods more expensive. 

ATNI also highlights the role of responsible investors in helping hold companies accountable. It calls on investors to use existing nutrition frameworks to assess and promote company nutrition performance by investing in responsible actors and considering the financial costs of long-term ill health caused by the current food environment and products.