Soft drinks on display at a shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan on Sept 2, 2024.LONDON — The world's biggest food and beverage companies on average sell products in low-income countries that are less healthy than what they sell in high-income countries, according to a new report.
The non-profit group found that across 30 companies, the products sold in low-income countries scored lower on a star rating system developed in Australia and New Zealand than those sold in high-income countries. "It's a very clear picture that what these companies are selling in the poorest countries in the world, where they are more and more active, are not healthy products," said Mark Wijne, research director at ATNI, in an interview with Reuters.It is the first time the index has split the assessment into low and high-income countries.