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The role of business in shaping a healthy eating culture for children. Outcomes of the ESG Hub Meeting

14/ 11/ 2025
  On 11 November, the European Business Association’s ESG Hub held an online meeting dedicated to the topic “Health from Childhood: How Business and NGOs Can Influence Eating Culture.” Participants discussed key challenges in children’s nutrition in Ukraine and potential ways to address them. Professor of NULES of Ukraine and President of the Ukrainian Dietetic Association, Oleh Shvets, presented current statistics on the impact of poor nutrition on the health of Ukrainians. He emphasized that childhood obesity is directly linked to the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) — the leading cause of mortality in Ukraine. In 2021 alone, more than 273,000 CVD-related deaths were attributed to unhealthy diets, while total deaths from these diseases reached 466,000. Among the main issues in children’s nutrition, the expert highlighted: low consumption of fruits and vegetables and excessive intake of salt and sugar; insufficient physical activity and excessive screen time; external factors such as junk food marketing, high availability of sugary drinks, low parental awareness, and suboptimal school meals. According to the expert, possible solutions include: strengthening the oversight of nutrition reform in educational institutions; introducing a tax on sugary soft drinks; adopting legislation to restrict the use of trans fats; increasing public awareness through educational resources, including the platform znaimo.gov.ua and nutrition education programmes. He also emphasized the need to reform the national nutrition programme and the importance of fostering a healthy eating culture within families. Representatives of Nestlé’s “Healthy Kids” programme presented the nationwide educational initiative “Nutrition Alphabet”, aimed at promoting healthy eating habits among primary school children. Over 15 years, the project has reached more than 2.3 million children and 3,000 schools across 22 regions of Ukraine, with around 6,000 users on the online platform. Programme Manager Sofiia Veremchuk highlighted tools and formats used to engage children and parents: offline lessons, the “Food Multiverse” card game, educational boxes, festivals and cooking masterclasses, charitable initiatives, and projects incorporating neuroeducation elements. Volodymyr Spivak, Director of Corporate Communications at Nestlé South Eastern Europe, emphasized the company’s core principles in responsible production and education, including a complete phase-out of trans fats and strict compliance with international and national standards for sugar and other components in products. The European Business Association sincerely thanks all speakers and participants for contributing to the dialogue and for their commitment to promoting healthy nutrition for children in Ukraine!

On 11 November, the European Business Association’s ESG Hub held an online meeting dedicated to the topic “Health from Childhood: How Business and NGOs Can Influence Eating Culture.” Participants discussed key challenges in children’s nutrition in Ukraine and potential ways to address them.

Professor of NULES of Ukraine and President of the Ukrainian Dietetic Association, Oleh Shvets, presented current statistics on the impact of poor nutrition on the health of Ukrainians. He emphasized that childhood obesity is directly linked to the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) — the leading cause of mortality in Ukraine. In 2021 alone, more than 273,000 CVD-related deaths were attributed to unhealthy diets, while total deaths from these diseases reached 466,000.

Among the main issues in children’s nutrition, the expert highlighted:

  • low consumption of fruits and vegetables and excessive intake of salt and sugar;
  • insufficient physical activity and excessive screen time;
  • external factors such as junk food marketing, high availability of sugary drinks, low parental awareness, and suboptimal school meals.

According to the expert, possible solutions include:

  1. strengthening the oversight of nutrition reform in educational institutions;
  2. introducing a tax on sugary soft drinks;
  3. adopting legislation to restrict the use of trans fats;
  4. increasing public awareness through educational resources, including the platform znaimo.gov.ua and nutrition education programmes.

He also emphasized the need to reform the national nutrition programme and the importance of fostering a healthy eating culture within families.

Representatives of Nestlé’s “Healthy Kids” programme presented the nationwide educational initiative “Nutrition Alphabet”, aimed at promoting healthy eating habits among primary school children. Over 15 years, the project has reached more than 2.3 million children and 3,000 schools across 22 regions of Ukraine, with around 6,000 users on the online platform.

Programme Manager Sofiia Veremchuk highlighted tools and formats used to engage children and parents: offline lessons, the “Food Multiverse” card game, educational boxes, festivals and cooking masterclasses, charitable initiatives, and projects incorporating neuroeducation elements.

Volodymyr Spivak, Director of Corporate Communications at Nestlé South Eastern Europe, emphasized the company’s core principles in responsible production and education, including a complete phase-out of trans fats and strict compliance with international and national standards for sugar and other components in products.

The European Business Association sincerely thanks all speakers and participants for contributing to the dialogue and for their commitment to promoting healthy nutrition for children in Ukraine!

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