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The group's core earnings rose 6.1% to 7.3 billion Swiss francs, while sales totalled 53.1 billion Swiss francs, or an increase of 3.8% over the same period last year, a statement from the company said.
The rise in sales was credited to organic growth and came despite a -8.3% impact from foreign exchange, the statement said.
For the full year, Nestle said it expects organic growth of at least the 7.4% seen in 2007, and improved pretax profit margins.
"Our Food and Beverages business will be the key driver of this profitable growth," Chief Executive Officer Paul Bulcke said in a statement.
Food and Beverages registered stronger organic growth in each of its three geographic regions than in the previous year - 5.2% in Europe, 9.9% in the Americas, and 14.2% in Asia, Oceania and Africa.
Nestle's acquisitions of baby food group Gerber and Novartis Medical Nutrition in 2007 added 3.2% to sales in the first half.
The results "demonstrate that Nestle is resilient and able to create opportunities for profitable growth even in challenging economic times," the company said.
Investors were somewhat underwhelmed however and the company's shares were down 1.02% at 46.68 Swiss francs in morning trade on the Zurich stock exchange.
One trader attributed the fall to negative growth in the company's bottled waters division, and lower-than-expected overall internal growth.
- AFP
