After a brief stint in the top spot for PepsiCo, Nestlé reclaimed the mantle of top food and beverage producer by revenue in this year’s Top 100 Food and Beverage Companies. Plus, there was a massive jump in revenue reported by Archer Daniels Midland, giving the company enough to vault into the second spot, pushing PepsiCo down to third.
By product category, the largest contributor to organic growth for Nestlé was coffee, fueled by strong momentum for the three main brands Nescafé, Nespresso and Starbucks. Sales of Starbucks products grew by 17.1% to reach CHF 3.1 billion, generating over CHF 1 billion of incremental sales compared with 2018, the company revealed in its 2021 full-year report. This year, Nestlé notably transformed its global water business, sharpening its focus on international premium and mineral water brands and healthy hydration products. In March, Nestlé completed the acquisition of Essentia Water, a premium functional water brand in the U.S., and the sale of its regional spring water brands, purified water business and beverage delivery service in the U.S. and Canada. Across its portfolio, Nestlé completed acquisitions and divestments with a total value of around CHF 9.9 billion in 2021.