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Nestlé is a multinational packaged food company founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It results from a merger in 1905 between the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company for milk products established by the Page Brothers in Cham, Switzerland, in 1866 and the Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé Company set up in 1867 by Henri Nestlé to provide an infant food product. Several of Nestlé's brands are globally renowned, which made the company a global market leader in many product lines, including milk, chocolate, confectionery, bottled water, coffee, creamer, food seasoning and pet foods.

The Unilever Group consists primarily of Unilever NV and Unilever PLC and is one of the world’s top makers of packaged consumer goods and sells products like deodorants, fragrances, soap, margarine, tea and frozen foods all over the world. Unilever controls subsidiaries in at least 90 countries and is one of the world’s top food firms.

Ernst & Young is known as one of the Big Four accounting firms, providing assurance (audit), tax planning and strategy, transaction, and advisory consulting services for clients around the world.

The firm is a network of professional service partnerships operating in approximately 140 countries. Each firm is a separate legal entity and directly or indirectly a member of either Ernst & Young Global Limited (“EYG” -- the British-based principal governance entity of the global Ernst & Young organization) or Ernst & Young International, Ltd (“EYI” -- a Cayman Islands company.)

Nomura Holdings is the parent company of Nomura Securities, Japan's leading investment bank and brokerage house. The company provides a variety of financial services, including equity and bond underwriting, research, private equity investment management, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory services. The company's biggest business segment is the Japanese domestic retail market -- where it provides consulting and brokerage services.

DuPont is the third-largest chemical maker in the U.S., behind only Dow and Exxon Mobil Chemicals. In addition to chemicals, Dupont produces genetically modified seeds, synthetic fibres, coatings, electronics and security devices. DuPont's revenues totalled over $26.6 billion in 2005.

CVS Caremark Corporation, is an integrated pharmacy services provider, combining one of the U.S.'s leading pharmaceutical services companies with the country’s largest pharmacy chain. The company manages more than one billion prescriptions per year, more than any other prescription benifet manager. CVS Caremark provides pharmacy services through its 6,200 CVS/pharmacy stores; its pharmacy benefit management, mail order and specialty pharmacy division, Caremark Pharmacy Services; its retail-based health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic; and its online pharmacy, CVS.com.

Costco is a big box store retailer that sells bulk household items. It has more than 490 stores throughout the world and sells jewelry that violates international labor and human rights standards. Many communities oppose the opening of new Costco stores in their neighborhoods because they argue that the store puts locally owned stores out of business and funnels money out of the local economy.