Dettol and Lysol owner Reckitt’s sales took a hit in the third quarter as its nutrition business suffered supply shortages.

The FMCG giant’s net sales dipped 0.5% on a like-for-like basis, however for the year to 30 September, sales were up 0.4%.

Reckitt said the yearly uplift came as a result of 2.8% growth in its health and hygiene business, however added that this was offset by its nutrition division.

Over the year, like-for-likes fell 11.6% in nutrition and dropped 17.4% in the quarter as trading was impacted by around £100m of supply-related challenges from the Mount Vernon tornado in July, which destroyed finished goods and raw materials, and impacted short-term supply to customers.

However, across the health and hygiene divisions, market share growth improved “sequentially”, with both also seeing continued volume momentum, up 0.7% and 1.2%, respectively, over the third quarter.

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Across hygiene, sales were up 3.7% for the year and 2.1% in the third quarter, which Reckitt said was led by high-single digit growth in Lysol, which grew market share in established segments of surface disinfection spray and wipes.

Finish, Air Wick, Vanish and Harpic also contributed to growth.

Looking ahead, the group is targeting full year like-for-like net sales growth of 1% to 3%.

While it forecast the lower end of its mid-single-digit growth forecast for its health and hygiene portfolios, Reckitt now expects a high single-digit decline for nutrition, from a previously expected low double-digit decline. 

Reckitt chief executive Kris Licht said: “Our categories are resilient, our brands are strong and we are now seeing a more balanced algorithm for growth. We are on track to deliver our net revenue and profit targets for 2024, with increased investment across our more competitive categories and markets, improving market share performance across our health and hygiene portfolios, and a normalising market environment in US nutrition.

“We are moving at pace on the execution of reshaping Reckitt through sharpening our portfolio, simplifying the organisation and improving shareholder returns.”