Our Approach to Wellbeing

Our world faces an uncertain food future - a population growing to almost 10 billion by 2050^[1], high rates of malnutrition in all its forms, food contributing significantly to carbon emissions^[2] and less than one third of people who can afford healthy and sustainable diets.^[3]

We recognize that every food choice is a combination of many factors including health, availability, affordability, sustainability, enjoyment and relevance. Food is not only about what you eat, but how much is eaten, what it's eaten with, when it's eaten, where it's eaten and with whom.  At the same time, food has a relevance to people’s heritage and eating directly invokes emotions such as fun, belonging and nostalgia. It has an impact on those who grow and make it, the communities they live in and the overall health of the planet. We define the combination of these factors as physical, societal and emotional - the core pillars of wellbeing. This approach aligns with the World Health Organization definition that personal health is no longer about the absence of disease, but about complete emotional and physical wellbeing^[4] as well as their definition of sustainable healthy diets.^[5]

We believe that the best indicator of diet quality is to focus on improving what and how people actually eat – their eating patterns and their real-life choices. We recognize that foods are rarely eaten alone and considering any one food or nutrient in isolation may not always be the most helpful approach. Over the long term, this way of thinking can help people make healthier and more environmentally sustainable food choices.

We also know that healthy eating patterns should not come at the expense of a healthy planet. It is clear that animal-based foods have higher impacts on the environment including carbon emissions, land and water use. Encouraging dietary shifts toward grains and other plant-based foods is necessary to feed the world in a more sustainable and healthful manner.    

How Kellanova is nourishing people with our foods

Our approach at Kellanova is based on a firm belief that all foods have a place in the diet.

For Kellanova, nourishing foods are about the eating occasion, how much and how often they are eaten as well as how they provide enjoyment and connectivity with others. The overall food experience must also encompass their convenience and affordability compared to other foods eaten at the same occasion. As science advances and people’s needs change, we continue to look for innovative ways to enhance the nutrition profile of our foods while maintaining taste.

This is underpinned by our commitment to nourish 1.5 billion people with our foods based on the volume of food sold that meets our Kellanova Global Nutrition Criteria (KGNC). The KGNC, used to inform food design and formulation, is based on nutrition science and public health dietary recommendations and establish a specific set of criteria for each food category and recognizes the roles different categories typically play in the overall diet.

• Kellanova Global Nutrition Criteria covers nutrient criteria for positive nutrients, such as fiber, protein and micronutrients, as well as criteria for calories, sodium, saturated fat and total sugar. The foods that meet KGNC can be found here.  
• We assess the volume of qualifying foods we sell around the world and calculate an estimate of how many people we have nourished. The number of qualifying foods is converted into a “people” metric. For more information, please visit our Kellanova Better Days™ Promise Commitments and Methodology.

We committed to several key principles as part of our journey:

• Developing a portfolio of food choices including options with more fiber, protein and micronutrients and less sugar, saturated fat and sodium.  
• Striving for equitable access to all of our foods.
• Transparency on our foods and the role they play in healthy and sustainable eating patterns.
• Supporting healthier lifestyles through education and engaging our consumers.

Maximizing nutrients of need

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by the body in very small amounts, including iron, Vitamin D and B vitamins. Their impact on a body’s health is critical and almost 2 billion people globally are estimated to be deficient^[6].  Deficiencies can cause severe and even life-threatening conditions. Kellanova recognizes that micronutrient addition plays a vital role in achieving optimal health for the whole family and has been voluntarily adding vitamins and minerals to our plant-based foods, where permitted, for over 80 years.

For example, in January 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced updated guidelines regarding the fortification levels of Vitamin D in grain-based bars. More than 90% of Americans do not consume enough Vitamin D.^[7] We are committed to utilizing both ingredients and fortification to provide delicious, affordable and accessible options to help U.S. consumers increase Vitamin D in their diet.

Fiber

According to the World Health Organization, adults should eat at least 25 grams of fiber per day ^[8] – but the reality is that most people are not getting enough. In the United States, for example, almost 90% of people aren’t eating enough of this important nutrient.^[9] At Kellanova, we’re committed to helping close this gap by innovating foods that provide fiber to help people consume more in an affordable and delicious way.

Sustainable Protein

By 2050, the global population is expected to increase to nearly 10 billion.^[10] The food supply will need to more than double in a sustainable manner to feed people without further depleting the planet.¹⁰ The challenges of feeding our growing population must focus on how the world eats protein. An animal-first food system simply can’t meet this challenge. Studies show that grains are a much more efficient source of protein when it comes to energy use and greenhouse gas emissions compared to animal sources.^[11] We understand the central role that sustainable protein will play in this transition and are focused on delivering the right sources, quality and frequency to people across the day.

Minimizing nutrients of concern

We are committed to delivering smart choices across our portfolio, including options with less sugar, sodium and saturated fat by the end of 2030, building on our achievements to date.

Sodium

Kellogg Company began sodium reduction work in 1998. Kellanova is committed to continuing to access opportunities to reduce the sodium in the foods our consumers love. Since 2007, we have lowered the average sodium content of our breakfast cereals, and we continue to work toward the targets agreed by the International Food and Beverage Alliance.^[12]

Sugar

Breakfast cereals are relatively minor contributors to sugar intake. For example, according to the U.K. National Diet and Nutrition Survey, the top sources of sugar consumption were from biscuits/cakes/pastries, soft drinks, coffee and tea, and chocolate confectionaries.^[13] In Latin America, top sources are soft drinks, sweetened juices and drinks, chocolate and candy, and cookies.^[14]

We continue to design our foods to support public health priorities and have continually reviewed our Kellanova Global Nutrition Criteria to support efforts to reduce dietary intake.

Saturated fat

Grains and other plant-based foods are typically low in saturated fat and minimal contributors to saturated fat in the diet. For our savory snacking foods, we use various tools, including baking and optimizing our blends of plant-based oils, to ensure saturated fat levels are managed appropriately. Kellanova has adopted the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA) commitment of not using any partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient in its recipes and applying a maximum of industrial trans-fatty acids in the final products of 2 milligrams/100 grams oil. We have delivered against this commitment.

Ensuring equitable access to food

Access to adequate food is a basic human right, and yet today more than 3 billion people globally can’t afford healthy and sustainable diets.^[15] Exacerbated by COVID-19, the problem is getting worse due to interrelated systems pressures such as climate change, geopolitical instability and inflation.

Resultant food and nutrition insecurity leads to poorer physical and mental health outcomes, impaired development, reduced productivity and lost earnings potential for affected individuals.

With poor diet as the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, inadequate and inequitable access to food is a vicious cycle in which sub-optimal eating patterns can lead to inadequate nutrient intakes and worse health outcomes across generations and entire communities.

Providing people with sustainable and equitable access to food is the cornerstone of our Better Days™ Promise social and environment purpose strategy. With our heritage in philanthropy and everyday access to convenient, nourishing and affordable food at scale, taking action in this space points to the heart of our company vision and purpose.

Kellanova’s portfolio is 89% plant-based and includes a range of snacking foods, breakfast cereals, noodles and meat alternative foods, which are often accessible options. We also know it’s imperative to make our foods accessible to all communities. In addition to donating millions of meals to food banks on six continents through our Kellanova Better Days™ Promise, we engage with government stakeholders on a broad array of nutrition assistance programs that feed families in need. For example, we make food that qualifies for the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP fed over 41 million people in 2019.^[16] We also support programs that feed children, like breakfast clubs in 27 countries and the U.S. national school breakfast and lunch programs, plus summer meals and more.

Transparently sharing information so people can make the right choices for themselves and their families

Our commitment is to be clear on the nutrition our foods provide and the role they play in healthy and sustainable dietary patterns. We understand that people want information about the foods they are eating so they can make the best choice for themselves and their family. We recognize that transparent nutrition labeling can help enable people to make healthier and more sustainable choices.

Kellogg Company was one of the first companies to place nutrition information on foods in the early 1900s. Kellogg further pioneered Guideline Daily Amounts in the early 2000s to ensure that people would have information on calories, sugar, sodium and other nutrients in foods in an accessible form. Kellanova continues the belief that providing people with clear information and guidance can help them make more informed choices. We design our food labels to provide all information in accordance with local laws and regulations and comply with the Codex Alimentarius principles of labeling.

This transparent approach and our belief that more information about our foods is good for people’s overall wellbeing continues today. For example:

• 100% of our foods carry nutrition labelling, as required by law and voluntary where not required.
• We demonstrate our commitment to meaningful Front of Pack labels through our use of the Facts Up Front program in the U.S., Traffic Lights labels in the U.K., Health Star Rating in Australia and NutriScore in France. Kellanova is committed to Front of Pack labeling and currently, over 90% of our foods carry front of pack nutrition labeling.
• Ensuring that we increase the accurate portrayal of women and girls in advertising and media is an important part of our diversity and inclusion initiatives contributing to U.N. SDG #5 – Gender Equality priorities. In the U.S., we are a member of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Alliance for Family Entertainment #SeeHer movement. As participants, our advertising and other marketing work is evaluated against a Gender Equity Measure (GEM) that determines how prominently we feature women.
• In 2021, Kellogg Company, introduced Navilens onto some of our packaging to make access to nutrition information more equitable.