FDBusiness.com

Nestle remains on track to deliver on its earlier forecast of full-year organic growth of around 5% combined with an EBIT margin increase in constant currencies in its food and beverages business. The Swiss company has reported group sales of SFr 82.8b, consisting of 6.1% organic growth, including 4.5% real internal growth, for the first nine months of 2010.

Food and Beverages sales reached SFr77.0b, with 5.7% organic growth and 4.2% real internal growth. Overall, Food and Beverages sales rose by 4.5%. The nine months sales reflect a continuation of the strong, broad-based growth seen earlier in the year, with the organic growth for both the group and the Food and Beverages business unchanged from the first half.

“The first half’s growth momentum continued unabated in the third quarter, providing a good base for the full year as we face challenging comparatives in the final quarter,” says Paul Bulcke, chief executive of Nestle.