Impact Stories
Explore the tangible impacts that our research initiatives and engagement with partners have catalysed over the last 10 years
In 2013, ATNi was founded as a not-for-profit organisation to improve nutrition around the globe by assessing the private sector and driving it to improve access to affordable, nutritious, and sustainable foods. For over ten years, ATNi has benchmarked performance across a set of key indicators that have allowed us to engage with food and beverage manufacturers and advocate for evidence-based practices for market transformation.
ATNi’s analysis of nearly 40,000 products from leading global food and beverage companies shows that 69% of packaged products sold in formal markets still fall short of healthy standards. While there is still ground to cover to reach our 2030 goal of having at least half of products qualify as healthy, significant progress has been made from 2013 to 2022.
For example, thirteen companies have strengthened their nutrition policies and management systems, and nine manufacturers have improved the healthiness of their products overall. Companies, including Unilever and Nestlé, began benchmarking and publicly sharing portfolio health metrics in 2022, while six companies adopted interpretive labelling to promote transparency.
These milestones mark important steps toward healthier packaged products sold in markets around the world. For more information on product healthiness:
ATNi has rigorously assessed the nutritional quality of over 40,000 food and beverage products and advocates for companies to adopt a robust, scientific nutrient profiling model (NPM) to standardise reporting and guide responsible investment. However, there was a lack of consensus on which NPM to use. ANTi led a process to create consensus, bringing together a broader group from industry, academia, civil society, and investors. Three models emerged as the preferred NPM: Health Star Rating, Nutri-Score, and the UK NPM.
ATNi’s reporting guidelines encourage companies to report against one of these three models, promoting transparency and comparability across product portfolios. More than half of companies are reporting on the healthiness of their product portfolio using one of these models.
Additionally, multiple organisations including ShareAction, FoodFoundation, BNP Paribas Asset, and Bite Back have expressed their commitment to using the results and the proposed reporting guidelines going forward in their engagement with companies. For more information:
Check out our work on NPMs
Read about our journey with product profiling
Check out our 2024 Global Index
Over five iterations of our Global Index, food and beverage companies have shown measurable improvements in responsible marketing practices. However, there is still substantial room for improvement as our 5th Global Index shows no company fully complies with the World Health Organization’s regulations on marketing unhealthy foods to children. Some companies have made specific commitments to protect children; Arla was the only assessed company in the 2021 Index that defined ‘child’ as anyone under 18, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and applied tailored marketing restrictions for under-18s and under-12s.
In January 2023, Unilever stopped marketing food and beverages to children under 16 across traditional and social media, and Nestlé planned to prohibit direct advertising of confectionery, ice cream, and sugary beverages to those under 16 by July 2023, referencing the Index as a guiding influence.
As food environments with the marketing of unhealthy foods persist, these marketing restrictions are an essential step in safeguarding children’s right to a healthier future. For more information:
Check out our 2024 BMS/CF Marketing Index
Read about how we assess marketing
Check out our 2024 Global Index
Despite the importance of having affordable nutritious products for low income consumers, few companies have specific strategies to support access to affordable, healthier foods.
One example is FrieslandCampina. When the company was assessed in 2013 and 2016 they had no commitment addressing affordability for low-income populations. In 2018, FrieslandCampina made progress by introducing the ‘Broadening Access to Nutrition’ strategy. This was a first step, but still lacked concrete objectives for affordability. ATNi recommended the company set measurable targets to support vulnerable groups, leading FrieslandCampina to adopt a formal policy on affordability and accessibility in 2021. Today, the company has established specific, measurable targets aimed at improving access for low-income groups, particularly in lower-income countries.
Ensuring affordable access to healthier foods is critical in addressing malnutrition and preventing diet-related diseases worldwide. For more information about our work on affordability:
Check out our 2024 Global Index
Read about accessibility in the 2021 Global Index
Infant nutrition is a universal priority, and ATNi believes “breast is best” and proudly leads efforts to promote compliance with the WHO Code of 1981, working closely with stakeholders to push for full adoption of the Code. Significant milestones include: in 2020, ATNi joined eight CSOs and UN agencies in a Call to Action urging all baby food manufacturers to commit publicly to full Code compliance by 2030. Recognized as an independent monitor, ATNi oversees companies’ progress toward these commitments. ATNi also contributed to the 2021 Nutrition for Growth Summit, guiding the Japanese government on assessing compliance with the Code.
Many companies have made notable strides: Danone, FrieslandCampina, and Nestlé have consistently engaged with ATNi, strengthening their Code-aligned policies and applying them to more BMS products and markets. Kraft Heinz published its first BMS marketing policy in 2020 and continues to engage with ATNi on further improvements. Reckitt enhanced its BMS marketing practices, publicly committing to improvements based on ATNi’s 2021 findings.
FrieslandCampina and Nestlé extended their policies to responsibly market formula for infants up to 6 months across all markets, with FrieslandCampina also committing to exceed local regulations for children 6 months to 3 years. H&H, new to ATNi’s 2024 BMS Index, has aligned its policy to ATNi standards, uniquely covering all BMS products for infants under 12 months in all markets.
Through these efforts, ATNi drives meaningful change toward responsible infant nutrition practices worldwide. For more information:
Check out our 2024 BMS Marketing Index
Read the full 2024 BMS Marketing Report
Read the country reports for CN, GER, IDN, VN and USA
ATNi’s CF Marketing Index evaluates the marketing of commercial complementary foods (CF products) for infants and young children aged 6-36 months. This includes baby porridges and cereals, dairy, fruit, and vegetable-based purées, savory meals, snack foods, and baby teas, juices, and water. In 2024, ATNi’s CF Marketing Index assessed 10 leading companies, representing an estimated 49% of the global CF market. This work, along with ATNi’s focus on breast-milk substitutes (BMS), underscores the importance of responsible marketing food to ensure children’s healthy development in the first 1000 days.
ATNi’s efforts continue to influence regulatory frameworks. In 2024, the Ministry of Health of Indonesia used findings from our ‘Complementary Foods Product Profile’ and ‘Indonesia Breast-milk Substitute and Complementary Foods Country Study’ to reevaluate and strengthen their regulations on complementary foods—a key step toward full Code adoption and improved infant nutrition in Indonesia.
Leading companies are also progressing in this area. Kraft Heinz, after establishing its first BMS marketing policy in 2020, has engaged with ATNi through the BMS/CF Marketing Index since 2021 to better align with CF recommendations. Similarly, Reckitt has enhanced its BMS policies, releasing a 2021 response outlining actions and improvements based on ATNi’s guidance.
Through these collaborative efforts, ATNi advances both corporate and regulatory standards for responsible marketing, contributing to improved nutrition for young children globally. For more information:
Check out our 2024 CF Marketing Index
Read the 2024 Executive Summary
Read the full 2024 CF Marketing Report
For more information on ATNi’s impact to date, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@atni.org.