Carrefour partners with Nestlé for ‘Healthier Kids’ initiative

Carrefour in partnership Nestlé is encouraging children to “Adopt a Fruit, Adopt a Vegetable” at its flagship locations across the UAE. This is part of their Healthier Kids initiative, which aims to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030.

Mascots representing different fruits and vegetables will be touring 12 Carrefour stores in the seven Emirates over different weekends, helping bring to life various characters created out of fruits and vegetables with names and key benefits of each presented in a fun and appealing manner.

Parents will be offered one stamp for each fruit or vegetable their children try, which they can then redeem, thereby educating helps children on healthy eating habits.

“At Carrefour we understand our customers’ purchasing habits and preferences. We already know that our UAE customers are becoming more health conscious and the success of our related offering like our Healthy Kitchen concept has supported this. However, we still have a long way to go to embed healthy snacking habits across all residents and, as research tells us that a positive mind set towards, and enjoyment in, healthy eating starts in childhood. That’s why we are delighted to partner with Nestlé in this important initiative by providing a space for our nation’s children to explore fruit and vegetables in a way that is a fun and rewarding experience for them,” says Hani Weiss, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Retail that operates Carrefour in 15 markets in the region.

“Evidence from our various research indicates that children will adopt healthier eating habits if educated about nutritious food options and inspired how to choose for themselves,” adds Yves Manghardt, chairman and CEO at Nestlé Middle East. “We are committed to supporting parents in their quest to promote healthy diet and lifestyle for their children and make healthy food the fun and the first choice for them. We also know very well that we can only materialise such an ambitious commitment through multi-sectoral partnerships.”

“According to the World Obesity Federation, child obesity will continue to rise in the UAE, affecting 14.62% of its ‘20 years and under’ population by 2020, up from 12.4% in 2013,” shares Dr. Wafaa Ayesh, director of the Clinical Nutrition Department at the Dubai Health Authority. “It is one of the top 10 health priorities in the region considering its implication on other related health issues, including rising rates of diabetes and prediabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and overall cardiovascular health.”

One of Nestlé Middle East’s key published commitments to society is to provide nutritionally sound products designed for children, which has translated since 2015 in the launch of more than 30 such products in the region.