Nestlé, whose clashes with activists over sales of baby milk formula in Africa led to widespread boycotts in the 1980s, has been found liable in a civil case over the secret infiltration of a non-governmental organisation.
A Swiss court last week ordered Nestlé and the Swiss security company Securitas SA must keep AGto pay compensation following revelations that an infiltrator had attended “work group” meetings of Attac, an anti-globalisation group. Some of those meetings took place at members’ homes.
The world’s biggest food company has been at pains to repair relations with NGOs since the milk formula debacle, which led to new health regulations on its marketing.