Nestle confirmed its annual forecast, aiming for organic growth of around four percent.
Shares in the group fell 2.8 percent on the Swiss stock exchange in afternoon deals.
"We will reach a turning point in the second quarter," Schneider said in a conference call.
"We are taking the right steps to accelerate growth and expect a much stronger performance starting from the second quarter," he added.
Nestle's first-quarter performance stands in contrast to those of rivals such as French group Danone, which reported rising sales volume last week.
British consumer goods giant Unilever reported an uptick in first-quarter sales on Thursday.
Nestle has also scrambled to ease any concerns over its Perrier brand after France's food safety watchdog recommended stricter monitoring of sites where Nestle extracts mineral water following the discovery of traces of "faecal" contamination.
The company has since said it has stepped up monitoring of the sites, and Schneider reiterated on Thursday that the group's water was safe to drink.
He said Nestle was "working diligently with regulators in several countries where we operate" to "continue to assure absolute food safety and full conformity with local mineral water standards".
Last week, campaigners from Swiss organisation Public Eye said an investigation found that two of Nestle's best-selling baby-food brands marketed in developing countries contain high levels of added sugar.
"The negative news flow in recent weeks ... is raising concerns among investors," said Jean-Philippe Bertschy, analyst at investment firm Vontobel.
Patrik Schwendimann, analyst at Zurcher Kantonalbank, said "investor sentiment towards Nestle in recent months has never been so poor for more than 25 years."
He added that Nestle shares could rise sharply "if the news flow improves" but "Nestle must be able to show clear improvements in the coming quarters."
Source: AFP
