An image taken on February 21, 2024 present the brand of Swiss meals big Nestle on the corporate’s headquarters in Vevey, western Switzerland.
Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Pictures
The meteoric rise of weight reduction medicine means customers’ dietary wants are “shifting” which offers new alternatives for meals firms, Nestle CEO Mark Schneider informed CNBC.
Buyers have been initially involved in regards to the recognition of GLP-1 medicine equivalent to Wegovy and Ozempic because it was assumed that individuals on the medicine would devour much less meals, Schneider informed CNBC’s Silvia Amaro.
However that perspective has since modified, he mentioned. “I believe what since has emerged is that dietary wants do not go away. They’re simply shifting. So, earlier than, throughout, after GLP-1 remedy — customers nonetheless have dietary wants, however they might be completely different from somebody who is just not on a weight reduction routine.”
In line with Schneider, customers who’re on weight reduction medicine merely have completely different dietary wants. Customers of the GLP-1 medicine have to focus extra on protein consumption to retain muscle mass and guaranteeing sufficient nutritional vitamins and micronutrients are consumed, he mentioned.
This serves as a possibility for Nestle to deliver science to the desk after which “work on what we name companion merchandise, merchandise that actually then tackle among the particular client wants throughout that remedy,” Schneider mentioned.
‘An fascinating addition’ to the meals business
Nestle is trying to capitalize on the recognition of the GLP-1 medicine with its “bold aim to push the more healthy merchandise,” the CEO mentioned.
The GLP-1 medicine will “definitely be an fascinating addition to all the opposite wants that we’re attempting to fulfill within the meals business,” Schneider informed CNBC, including that even because the significance of the medicine grows, they won’t turn into the only focus for foods and drinks firms.
Whereas GLP-1 customers might look out for merchandise which might be tailor-made to their weight-reduction plan and impacts of the medicine equivalent to feeling satiety before earlier than, not all customers may have the identical objectives.
“Keep in mind, there’s going to be loads of customers on the market that aren’t on an GLP-1 weight-reduction plan. And there may be a lot of conditions the place a snack and a chocolate product should still be of loads of curiosity. So it does not go away,” Schneider defined.
Customers will even all be at completely different life phases, from infancy to the aged, and subsequently have completely different dietary requirement which might be met with completely different merchandise, he added.
Frozen meals vary for GLP-1 customers
Despite the fact that long-term results of GLP-1 weight reduction therapies are nonetheless unsure and issues about unwanted side effects persist, Schneider mentioned you will need to reply to them as a “main client pattern.”
The Swiss meals and beverage big introduced earlier this month that it was launching Important Pursuit, a frozen meals vary that targets these taking GLP-1 medicine. Twelve merchandise are set to hit supermarkets later this yr, together with pastas, pizzas, and sandwich melts. All meals will embody not less than one important nutrient equivalent to calcium or iron.
Meals which might be historically not linked to weight reduction like Pizza shall be included to supply customers with selection, Schneider informed CNBC.
“However crucial half is all of them are going to be portion managed,” he mentioned. “Then the micronutrient standing is essential. So we’re including nutritional vitamins to make certain that all of the central wants of those customers are met.”
Nestle can also be planning different “companion choices” for customers taking weight reduction medicine, each within the U.S., the place Important Pursuit merchandise will launch, and elsewhere, Schneider mentioned.
“A few of these merchandise will even make loads of sense to customers, if they are not on a GLP-1 remedy, however one other sort of weight reduction remedy, as a result of the identical fundamentals apply, and that’s you need to make certain that you are shedding fats and never lean muscle mass and also you need to make certain that you do not develop any vitamin deficiencies,” Schneider mentioned.
