In 2016, Nestlé's net profit came in at 8.53 billion Swiss francs ($8.53 billion) down 6.6% from 9.1 billion over the same period last year and falling short of the Street's forecasted 9.59 billion."

Could it be that consumer giants are actually struggling because of a shift in public opinion?

 

From the perspective of an activist, feeling the collective spirit of activism right now, it seems like there is a health awakening underway.

 

Searching for tangible evidence that a rise in health consciousness is happening, you can find polls. To put our finger to the pulse, we can look at what people are saying around us, polls, reading all the different headlines, and by researching in general.

 

Some polls suggest public opinion is moving away from favoring processed, or chemical food.

 

A poll released in February found,

"Only one-third of parents think they are doing a good job helping kids eat healthy," according to MedicalXPress.

A Canadian poll released this week found that,

"Food fraud worries more than half of Canadians," according to CTV News.

Reading from their article:

"In an online survey conducted by researchers at Dalhousie University, 63 per cent of respondents said they were concerned about the widespread practice known as food fraud.

 

Notably, worries about counterfeited food products coming from Canada were even greater in those study participants with food intolerances."

Perhaps going against the grain of public opinion, but toward the agenda of industry, mainstream media articles can be found mocking the concept of moving away from processed or chemical food.

 

A mainstream headline in favor of it reads:

February 9, 2017, Washington Post:

"Not all processed foods are bad for you. How they're made matters."

Other headlines are in stark opposition to the mainstream opinion:

February 20, 2017, the Canary:

"The food industry is making it difficult for parents to help children eat healthily."