In a recent interview with the “Tagesspiegel”, Alexander von Maillot, CEO of Nestlé Deutschland, expressed a pragmatic stance on the potential introduction of stricter laws and regulations in the food industry. He stated that his company would, of course, adapt to and implement such measures without hesitation, citing the company’s global experience in operating in various countries with diverse regulatory environments.
However, von Maillot also expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of such regulations, citing the example of reducing sugar in ketchup, which he believes can be done without significantly affecting the product’s taste. He noted that in the case of chocolate, it is more challenging to reduce sugar content without altering the final product’s flavor profile.
The CEO also shared a real-life example of Nestlé’s attempts to reduce salt in its products, such as pizza and Maggi soups. He pointed out that, in some cases, customers simply added salt to taste, suggesting that consumer preferences may not be as easily swayed by reduced salt or sugar content as one might expect.