India Spotlight Index 2020
Parle Products
Product Profile Categories
Confectionery; Savoury Snacks; Sweet Biscuits, Snack Bars and Fruit Snacks
Rank 8 (2016)
Product Profile
Rank 3 / Score 6.6
Company Profile
Rank 12
(%) Figure in brackets is the weighting of the category. All category, commitment, performance and disclosure scores are out of 10
Commitment
Performance
Disclosure
The bar graph to the left shows company performance across the seven Index categories, which are key topic areas of assessment, and scores are shown for each category. The circles above provide an alternate view on the company’s overall results, showing the score per indicator type.
Main areas
of strength
- Parle Products ranks third in the Product Profile with a score of 6.6 out of 10. Its relative performance against competitors within the same product categories contributed most positively to this result, with the company achieving the highest mean healthiness scores across the three categories in which it competes with peers – Savoury Snacks, Confectionery and Sweet Biscuits, Snack Bars and Fruit Snacks.
- Although Parle Products does not publicly disclose detailed information on its nutrition-related strategies and policies, some focus on nutrition, health and product affordability is described in its public statement: ‘We have made it a tradition to deliver both health and taste, with a value-for-money positioning that allows people from all classes and age groups to enjoy Parle products to the fullest.’
- The company demonstrates a focus on food quality and safety by disclosing a global ISO-certified Food Safety Management System on its website.
Priority areas
for improvement
- Parle Products ranks joint twelfth overall in the India Index 2020 with a score of 1.4 out of 10.
- Parle Products does not perform well in the overall mean healthiness of its products. Of the company’s 2018 sales, it is estimated that 2% were derived from products that achieve a Health Star Rating (HSR) of 3.5 or more out of 5, i.e. that meet the ‘healthy’ threshold. Parle Products should consider improving the healthiness of its product portfolio through innovation and reformulation, and/or by selling products in healthier product categories, while defining which of its products are healthy based on objective nutrition criteria.
- Parle Products is encouraged to adopt a comprehensive nutrition policy and management system, specifying how the company’s commercial strategy and activities aim help improving nutrition and health, and to address all forms of malnutrition in India. The company should disclose its micronutrient fortification approach and indicate whether any products are voluntarily fortified according to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulation, 2018.
- Parle Products is advised to adopt a responsible marketing policy covering all consumer groups, with specific commitments regarding children and teenagers. It may consider signing the Food and Beverage Alliance India Pledge (FBAI) as a first step towards this aim. The company should further commit to only marketing products to children that meet the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region (SEAR) regional standard. The Product Profile found that none of its products currently meet this standard.
- Parle Products should adopt and publish a labeling policy that ensures nutrition information is provided on products in India according to the Codex Alimentarius guidelines, and in compliance with local regulations. It is also encouraged to implement an interpretive front-of-pack labeling system as soon as possible that aligns with other companies or industry associations, and is developed in partnership with the Government and other relevant stakeholders.
- Parle Products could further increase public disclosure about its nutrition-related commitments, policies and practices in India and is encouraged to engage with ATNI to allow for a more complete assessment of these aspects.
Category Analysis
Governance
Products
Accessibility
Marketing
Workforce
Labeling
Engagement
Nutrition
- A1
- Nutrition strategy
- A2
- Nutrition management
- A3
- Reporting quality
- B1
- Product Profile
- B2
- Product formulation
- B3
- Defining healthy products
- C1
- Product pricing
- C2
- Product distribution
- D1
- Marketing policy
- D2
- Marketing to children
- D3
- Auditing and compliance
- E1
- Employee health
- E2
- Breastfeeding support
- E3
- Consumer health
- F1
- Product labeling
- F2
- Claims
- G1
- Influencing policymakers
- G2
- Stakeholder engagement
All category, criteria, commitment, performance and disclosure scores are out of 10
Commitment
Performance
Disclosure
The circle on the left represents the company result for this Index category, showing the rank out of 16 and the score below it. The colored segments represent the respective criteria contributions to the overall category score. The above circles indicate how the company performs on the three types of indicators within this category.
The circle on the left represents the company result for this Index category, showing the rank out of 16 and the score below it. The colored segments represent the respective criteria contributions to the overall category score. The above circles indicate how the company performs on the three types of indicators within this category.
The circle on the left represents the company result for this Index category, showing the rank out of 16 and the score below it. The colored segments represent the respective criteria contributions to the overall category score. The above circles indicate how the company performs on the three types of indicators within this category.
The circle on the left represents the company result for this Index category, showing the rank out of 16 and the score below it. The colored segments represent the respective criteria contributions to the overall category score. The above circles indicate how the company performs on the three types of indicators within this category.
The circle on the left represents the company result for this Index category, showing the rank out of 16 and the score below it. The colored segments represent the respective criteria contributions to the overall category score. The above circles indicate how the company performs on the three types of indicators within this category.
For this category performance indicators were not included. The circle on the left represents the company result for this Index category, showing the rank out of 16 and the score below it. The colored segments represent the respective criteria contributions to the overall category score. The above circles indicate how the company performs on the three types of indicators within this category.
The circle on the left represents the company result for this Index category, showing the rank out of 16 and the score below it. The colored segments represent the respective criteria contributions to the overall category score. The above circles indicate how the company performs on the three types of indicators within this category.
Companies are grouped into three different industry segments in this Index based on the type of products they predominantly sell (i.e. contributing 80% or more to their total food and beverage sales) – dairy, edible oil or mixed portfolio. The graph on the right shows how the company’s result within this Index category compares to that of its peers within the same industry segment.
Companies are grouped into three different industry segments in this Index based on the type of products they predominantly sell (i.e. contributing 80% or more to their total food and beverage sales) – dairy, edible oil or mixed portfolio. The graph on the right shows how the company’s result within this Index category compares to that of its peers within the same industry segment.
Companies are grouped into three different industry segments in this Index based on the type of products they predominantly sell (i.e. contributing 80% or more to their total food and beverage sales) – dairy, edible oil or mixed portfolio. The graph on the right shows how the company’s result within this Index category compares to that of its peers within the same industry segment.
Companies are grouped into three different industry segments in this Index based on the type of products they predominantly sell (i.e. contributing 80% or more to their total food and beverage sales) – dairy, edible oil or mixed portfolio. The graph on the right shows how the company’s result within this Index category compares to that of its peers within the same industry segment.
Companies are grouped into three different industry segments in this Index based on the type of products they predominantly sell (i.e. contributing 80% or more to their total food and beverage sales) – dairy, edible oil or mixed portfolio. The graph on the right shows how the company’s result within this Index category compares to that of its peers within the same industry segment.
Companies are grouped into three different industry segments in this Index based on the type of products they predominantly sell (i.e. contributing 80% or more to their total food and beverage sales) – dairy, edible oil or mixed portfolio. The graph on the right shows how the company’s result within this Index category compares to that of its peers within the same industry segment.
Companies are grouped into three different industry segments in this Index based on the type of products they predominantly sell (i.e. contributing 80% or more to their total food and beverage sales) – dairy, edible oil or mixed portfolio. The graph on the right shows how the company’s result within this Index category compares to that of its peers within the same industry segment.
Peer Comparison
Peer Comparison
Peer Comparison
Peer Comparison
Peer Comparison
Peer Comparison
Peer Comparison
Product Profile
3
Rank 3 / Score 6.6
Portfolio-level Results
| Average HSR score products (sales-weighted) |
Healthy products (HSR) |
Products suitable to market to children (WHO SEAR) |
Range of total India F&B sales included |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % products healthy |
% sales healthy |
No. products assessed |
% products suitable |
% sales suitable |
No. products assessed |
||
| 1.6 | 3% | 2% | 201 | 0% | 0% | 202 | 90-100% |
- A total of 202 products from three categories, representing 90-100% of Parle Product’s estimated 2018 retail sales, were included in the Product Profile. Of those, 201 could be assessed using the HSR. Seven products (3%) were found to meet the HSR healthy threshold and the company is estimated to have derived 2% of its 2018 sales from these healthy products.
- The company achieves an unweighted mean HSR of 1.6 out of 5. After sales-weighting the company’s mean HSR remains the same, resulting in a mean healthiness score of 3.2 out of 10.
- A total of 202 products were assessed to determine their suitability to be marketed to children according to the WHO SEAR nutrient profile model. None of the products were found to be suitable to be marketed to children.
Product Category Results
| Category | Confectionery | Savoury Snacks | Sweet Biscuits, Snack Bars and Fruit Snacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean HSR | 1.1 | 2.3 | 1.5 |
| % products healthy |
0 | 12 | 0 |
| % products suitable to market to children |
0 | 0 | 0 |
- Parle Products’ highest-scoring product category is Savoury Snacks, for which it achieves a mean HSR of 2.3 out of 5. The company’s Confectionery category achieved the lowest mean HSR of 1.1.
Relative nutritional quality of Parle Products' products by category compared to competitors
| Mean HSR | Confectionery | Savoury Snacks | Sweet Biscuits, Snack Bars and Fruit Snacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parle Products | 1.1 | 2.3 | 1.5 |
| Amul GCMMF | 0.6 | ||
| Britannia Industries | 2.2 | 1.4 | |
| Campbell | 2.5 | ||
| Conagra | 2.5 | ||
| Ferrero | 0.9 | 1.2 | |
| General Mills | 2.4 | ||
| Grupo Bimbo | 1.2 | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| ITC | 1.1 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
| Kellogg | 1.7 | 2.3 | |
| Kraft Heinz | 3.5 | ||
| Mars | 1.3 | ||
| Meiji | 0.9 | 0.8 | |
| Mondelēz | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.4 |
| Mondelēz India | 0.5 | 0.9 | |
| Nestlé | 2.3 | ||
| Nestlé India | 0.7 | ||
| PepsiCo | 2.3 | ||
| PepsiCo India | 1.7 |
- When compared to the five other companies that sell products in the Confectionery category (as part of their top-selling categories) in India, Parle Product achieves the highest mean HSR of 1.1 out of 5, placing them joint first for this category.
- Parle Products ranks either first or joint first across the three product categories for which the company is assessed (Confectionery, Savoury Snacks, and Sweet Biscuits, Snack Bars, and Fruit Snacks). Based on its top ranking within these categories, the company achieves the maximum relative category score of 10 out of 10.
Conclusion
- Parle Product’s mean healthiness score of 3.2 and relative category score of 10 result in an overall Product Profile score of 6.6 out of 10. This means the company ranks third in the Product Profile despite having one of the lowest overall proportions (3%) of products meeting the HSR healthy threshold. Parle’s Product Profile score is largely driven by the company’s relative performance when compared to other companies that sell products within the same categories.
- The company is encouraged to improve the overall nutritional quality of its product portfolio through innovation and reformulation. It could also consider starting to sell new products within healthier categories it is not currently active in.