However, its use of the anti-obesity campaign logo on one of its websites used to promote snacks including KitKats, was sanctioned by the Department of Health.
Its continued use of the logo is now under discussion after Sustain, the children’s food campaign group, questioned why the symbol was being used on a website promoting high-sugar cereals and confectionery.
Nestle displays the logo on its getsetgofree.com website, which encourages shoppers to collect tokens from products to claim family activities.
But Sustain said its own research had found that 24 out of 27 products included in the promotion were officially categorised as high in sugar according to Food Standards Agency guidelines.
A key part of the Change4Life campaign is “sugar swaps”, encouraging families to swap food and drink with added sugar for healthier alternatives.
Change4Life guidelines state that partners “must be prepared to carry balanced messaging to encourage both healthier eating and more physical activity”.
A Nestle spokeswoman said: “The use of the Change4Life logo on our Get Set Go Free website was approved and agreed by the Department of Health.
“We will continue to work with the Department of Health and will act on any changes they advise us to make.”
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “We are harnessing the power that companies like Nestle have with consumers to build awareness of Change4Life and healthy behaviours.
“Nestle has provided support to the Change4Life movement in a number of ways over the past year, including promoting the importance of a healthy diet to their employees, as well as encouraging families to be more active as part of their Get Set Go Free campaign.
“We’re working with Nestle to review the use of the Change4Life logo on the Get Set Go Free website as an error was made by the Department of Health in its approval.”
The logo should have been accompanied by the wording: “Nestle supports Change4Life. In order to maintain a healthy weight we need to both have a healthy, balanced diet and be more active. Click here to find out more.”
Children’s Food Campaign coordinator Christine Haigh said: “This is yet another example of the food industry claiming to promote healthy lifestyles whilst in fact encouraging families to eat more junk food.
“No company that uses these practices should be allowed to be associated with a Government health campaign, and this should be a wake-up call for the Department of Health which wants to see companies like this more involved in the Change4Life campaign, not less.”
Telegraph UK