Nestle Plans To Increase “Large-Scale” Research Partnerships

A partnership Nestle recently announced with one of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology is the first of more large-scale collaborations to come, the Nestle Research Center (NRC) director says.

"It is the first in what we hope to be a number of more focused, large-scale cooperation agreements with the best research institutes around the world," NRC Director Peter van Bladeren said in a Nov. 21 presentation.

NRC signed a five-year agreement on Nov. 21 with the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) - the Federal Polytechnical School of Lausanne - to conduct research on the relationship between nutrition and the brain.

The partnership will focus on optimal brain development in children, and prevention and alleviation of cognitive decline in the elderly.

"Scientific progress has shown that nutrition has a far greater impact on the brain than previously thought," van Bladeren said. "The need is obvious and the role of nutrition is clear."

Nestle will contribute $4.1 mil. ($0.83 = 1 CHF) a year to research at EPFL's Brain Mind Institute, where it will also endow two research chairs, according to a company release.

Van Bladeren said Nestle will work with EPFL on three levels. It will support "basic knowledge-building" through the endowed chairs and "specific research projects [to] be the building blocks for future development," he said, adding "for full development, clinical trials are needed, which will be conducted together."

Nestle hopes the EPFL partnership will help it find "new, more efficient energy sources for the brain and optimizing the use of that energy," van Bladeren said.

Van Bladeren cited projections showing by 2050 nearly 30% of the population in industrialized countries will be more than 65 years old.

"Old age is often associated with brain decline," he said. "We are convinced we will be able to offer nutritional solutions to such problems."

Van Bladeren said Nestle plans to make use in the partnership of its extensive knowledge of food components, such as probiotics and prebiotics, affecting gastrointestinal levels and to "add future EPFL science to reach wellness in the fullest sense of the word."

Consumers are "increasingly aware of the benefits foods bring for health and wellness," the director said. Based on consumer feedback, Nestle determined seven health benefits to focus its knowledge and capitalize on partnerships, he added.

The seven areas are protection; weight management; skin health and beauty; growth development; performance; healthy aging; and digestive comfort.

Van Bladeren said NRC research into protection "continues to show the benefits of boosting the body's natural immune defense system by using nutrients like probiotics and prebiotics to regulate the gut microflora."

The center also "aims to provide digestive comfort through targeted approaches which exploit extensive in-house knowledge on oligosaccharides, food fibers, and other natural bioactive ingredients such as probiotics," van Bladeren said.

"For the consumer, our goal is to improve gut transit and decrease gut pain by promoting the ease of digestion all along the digestive tract," he added.

Nestle also has branched further into weight management with the acquisition of Jenny Craig for approximately $600 mil. in June. The company said the acquisition "demonstrates Nestle's continuing commitment to nutrition, health and wellness."

In May, Nestle Australia acquired Uncle Tobys in Australia as well as the rights to the brand in New Zealand for $694 mil. ($0.78 = 1 AUD), according to a company release. The brand includes breakfast cereals and nutritious snacks.

Nestle and Coca-Cola on Nov. 2 announced plans to refocus the activities of their Beverage Partners Worldwide joint venture on black tea beverages (¹ 'The Tan Sheet' Nov. 20, 2006, In Brief).

- Rebekah Moan