Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV, the world's largest baking company, said 98% of its everyday consumption products globally now meet optimal nutritional standards across bread, sweet baked foods, English muffins and savory bagels. These products, designated "Positive Nutrition," carry increased fiber, protein, whole grain and vitamin content alongside lower levels of sodium, added sugar, and saturated and trans fats.
The company uses the Health Star Rating system to qualify this claim. Developed by Australia and New Zealand, the Health Star Rating evaluates packaged foods on a scale from 0.5 to 5 stars, with products rated 3.5 stars or higher considered to offer verified optimal nutritional quality. Currently, 48% of Grupo Bimbo's total net sales come from products meeting this standard.
Clean Label Progress
On the clean label front, Grupo Bimbo said 100% of its everyday consumption portfolio is now free from artificial colors, and 99% contains no artificial flavors. The company aims to have an entirely artificial color-free global portfolio by 2026.
Patricia Villalobos, global leader of research and development for Grupo Bimbo, attributed the progress to recipe transformations that began in 2008. "The Positive Nutrition results we see today reflect this ongoing process of continuous improvement," she said.
External Recognition
The Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi), a Netherlands-based independent foundation evaluating the world's 30 largest food companies, recognized Grupo Bimbo as the fourth-highest-rated food company globally in its 2024 index. The company earned the highest score in the "affordable nutrition" category among the companies evaluated.
Broader Sustainability Gains
The nutrition push sits within a wider sustainability strategy. Grupo Bimbo said regenerative agriculture practices were used on more than 1.2 million acres for wheat, corn and potato crops across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, the United Kingdom and France.
Additional achievements reported by the company include 100% renewable electricity consumption relative to a 2020 baseline, deployment of more than 4,000 electric vehicles across operations, 99% of packaging meeting recyclability standards, and 100% water reuse relative to the 2020 baseline. The company noted its electric fleet is the largest among food companies in Latin America.