



Mint Explainer | Why Big Food is cutting back: Slow growth, new health trends, and GLP-1 drugs push giants to exit
Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Unilever plans to spin off its food business, after carving out its ice-cream unit into The Magnum Ice Cream Company, including India’s Kwality Walls. It continues to sell brands such as Hellmann’s, Kissan, Brooke Bond and Horlicks in India.“Looking ahead, our priorities are clear: more beauty and well-being and personal care,” Unilever CEO Fernando Fernandez said in July 2025.Later, the Financial Times reported that Unilever and Kraft Heinz held talks about a potential merger of their food businesses.While the future of these deals is uncertain, they reflect a broader global trend of major FMCG companies reducing their food portfolios—a contrast to India, where private capital is pouring into packaged foods.
What’s driving the divergence? Are weight-loss drugs a factor? Mint explains.Nestlé spun off its bottled water unit in 2025 and plans to sell its ice-cream business in 2026. Kraft Heinz will split its slow-growth grocery brands (Kraft Singles, Lunchables) from faster-growing ones (Heinz Ketchup and Philadelphia cream cheese).
Mars Inc. acquired Kellanova from Kellogg’s, which houses brands Pringles and Pop-Tarts.The pattern: global food giants are carving up portfolios, often ahead of exits.Global packaged food companies delivered 2.9% shareholder returns, down from 15% a decade earlier, a 2025 Bain & Company report showed.
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