Philipp Navratil, the new head of Nestlé, has begun to reshape the global food giant and change its scope. During the group’s annual results presentation on Thursday, February 19, he announced that the Swiss group would refocus its activity around four core areas: “Coffee, Petcare, Nutrition and Food & Snacks.” As part of this reorganization, Nestlé revealed it would fully withdraw from the ice cream market by selling its remaining shares in a joint venture with Froneri, and partially exit the bottled water market.

“For Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, we began the formal engagement process with potential partners in Q1 2026 and expect the business to be deconsolidated from 2027,” the group said in its statement. The company, recently rocked by a scandal linked to the use of illicit treatment techniques on products marketed as natural or spring mineral waters, particularly in France, with brands such as Perrier and Vittel, had previously decided in November 2024 to spin off its water and premium beverage business, including flagship brands such as Perrier and San Pellegrino. At that time, the group also said it was seeking partnerships that could pave the way for a possible market exit. The new CEO has now confirmed a partial sale of this business.

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