Nestlé has reported a small deceleration in quarterly sales growth as demand from emerging markets slowed.

The Swiss food giant said like-for-like sales during the first nine months of the year were up 6.1% to CHF67.6bn (£45.3bn). For the first half they had increased by 6.6%.

Sales growth in Asia, Oceania and Africa slowed from 11.6% to 9.4%.

“We expected a slowdown in growth, but we did not expect things to slow so much,” said Bernstein analyst Andrew Wood.

In the UK, Nestlé said confectionery sales had increased by 2.6% year-to-date and that sales of Dolce Gusto coffee machines had increased by 19% this year.

“Coffee and confectionery have always been our heartland and they continue to drive our business forward,” said Nestlé UK & Ireland CEO Fiona Kendrick.

“The success story of Dolce Gusto proves that even in challenging times providing shoppers with quality products that answer their lifestyle needs is what matters most.”