Nestle seems to have knowingly ignored this and encouraged mothers to use the formula even when they knew the risks. But due to low literacy rates, many mothers were not aware of this, so they mixed the formula with polluted water which put the children at great risks. Most of the groups they were targeting – especially in Africa – didn’t have access to clean water (many don’t to this day), so it was necessary for them to boil the water. The first problem was the need for water sanitation. This is one of the first Nestle formula ads, from 1911. They made it seem that their infant formula was almost as good as a mother’s milk, which is highly unethical for several reasons. Nestle aggressively pushed their breastfeeding formula in less economically developed countries (LEDCs), specifically targeting the poor. We’re in the ’90s, and this is a sad story about poverty, breastfeeding, and greed. Looking at only these stats, it would seem that Nestle is one of the “good guys”… but then why are they so hated? Let’s take it step by step. They’re also considered to be one of the best employers in Europe with six LEED certifications and sponsor numerous activities and sustainable projects. They truly are what you would call a giant. They have 447 factories across 194 countries and employ around 333,000 people. Twenty-nine of their brands have sales of over $1 billion a year and have over 8,000 brands. According to Wikipedia, their products include baby food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee and tea, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, frozen food, pet foods, and snacks. Nestle is a Swiss multinational food and beverage company. But we also write about environmental issues, especially when they affect many of us, and especially when we can make a difference. Which brings me to the next point: why are we writing this article? ZME Science is a science website (crazy, right?), and this is not strictly science, at least not in the way our regular articles are. But sometimes there is a reason, or as in this case, several solid reasons, as we’ll see below. Companies (big companies included) are the very backbone of our economy, and they often get a bad rep for little or no reason. I especially dislike it when the latter happens. People love to hate, and they really love to hate on big companies – whether or not they have a reason to. Introduction Just some of Nestle’s more well-known brands. 10 Promoting Unhealthy Food and Mislabeling.
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