Despite being available for over fifty years, Nestlé is ensuring that its Carnation Breakfast Essentials line remains youthful. By reducing added sugars, adopting a contemporary packaging design, and enhancing its sustainability credentials, Nestlé is addressing key concerns for consumers—many of whom grew up enjoying the drink and are now providing it to their own children and teenagers. “As nutritional and environmental preferences evolve, Carnation Breakfast Essentials is dedicated to offering delicious products that cater to today’s consumers,” stated Abigail Buckwalter, president of Nestlé Health Science U.S.
Carnation Breakfast Essentials has long promoted its powders and drinks, which are rich in protein, vitamins C and D, and calcium—specifically, calcium carbonate and calcium citrate—among other essential nutrients for younger consumers. The recent reformulation and new packaging by the Swiss company aim to enhance brand recognition in a market flooded with choices. For instance, Nestlé is transitioning some of its Carnation Breakfast Essentials products from plastic bottles to Tetra Pak cartons made from responsibly sourced paper. The company has set a goal to make 100% of its packaging fully recyclable or reusable by 2025. According to Trivium Packaging’s 2021 Global Buying Green Report, over two-thirds of consumers deem recyclable packaging important, and more than half (54%) consider sustainable packaging when making product selections.
This consumer trend is a significant factor behind General Mills’ Nature Valley Crunchy granola bars switching to fully recyclable plastic wrappers last spring, and PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division introducing a compostable bag for its Off The Eaten Path brand. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola has rolled out bottles made from 100% recycled plastic, and Mars Wrigley has partnered with Danimer Scientific to develop biodegradable wrappers for Skittles. Nestlé has also joined other consumer packaged goods companies in pledging to reduce salt, sugar, and saturated fats in its products. Although it is positioning itself more as a health, wellness, and nutrition brand, Nestlé continues to recognize the role of sugar in appealing to consumers.
In 2017, Nestlé implemented similar changes to Nesquik by lowering sugar content and launching a new advertising campaign without the iconic cartoon bunny. These initiatives were part of a strategy aimed at boosting sales among health-conscious parents and tech-savvy children. However, the world’s largest food manufacturer has faced challenges in its sugar reduction efforts. Two years ago, Nestlé discontinued its Milkybar Wowsomes, a lower-sugar chocolate bar launched in the U.K. and Ireland. While no official reason was provided for the discontinuation, reports indicate that it struggled with disappointing sales and distribution challenges, despite utilizing Nestlé’s sugar-reduction technology, which lowers sugar content by 30%.