A illustrate taken on February 21, 2024 show the logo of Swiss food giant Nestle on the company’s headquarters in Vevey, western Switzerland.
Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Concepts
The meteoric rise of weight loss drugs means consumers’ nutritional needs are “shifting” which provides new occasions for food companies, Nestle CEO Mark Schneider told CNBC.
Investors were initially concerned about the renown of GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic as it was assumed that people on the drugs would consume less rations, Schneider told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro.
But that perspective has since changed, he said. “I think what since has emerged is that nutritional needs don’t go away. They’re decent shifting. So, you know before, during, after GLP-1 therapy — consumers still have nutritional needs, but they may be unalike from someone who is not on a weight loss regimen.”
According to Schneider, consumers who are on weight loss medication simply be struck by different nutritional needs. Users of the GLP-1 drugs need to focus more on protein intake to retain muscle assortment and ensuring enough vitamins and micronutrients are consumed, he said.
This serves as an opportunity for Nestle to bring science to the flatland and then “work on what we call companion products, products that really then address some of the circumscribed consumer needs during that treatment,” Schneider said.
‘An interesting addition’ to the food industry
Nestle is looking to capitalize on the hero- worship of the GLP-1 drugs with its “ambitious goal to push the healthier products,” the CEO said.
The GLP-1 drugs will “certainly be an compelling addition to all the other needs that we’re trying to meet in the food industry,” Schneider told CNBC, adding that smooth as the importance of the drugs grows, they will not become the sole focus for food and drink companies.
While GLP-1 purchasers may look out for products that are tailored to their diet and impacts of the medication such as feeling satiety sooner than in front of, not all consumers will have the same goals.
“Remember, there’s going to be a lot of consumers out there that are not on an GLP-1 food. And there is lots of situations where a snack and a chocolate product may still be of a lot of interest. So it doesn’t go away,” Schneider untangle justified.
Consumers will also all be at different life stages, from infancy to the elderly, and therefore have different nutritional demand that are met with different products, he added.
Frozen food range for GLP-1 users
Even though long-term punches of GLP-1 weight loss treatments are still uncertain and concerns about side effects persist, Schneider conveyed it is important to respond to them as a “major consumer trend.”
The Swiss food and beverage giant announced earlier this month that it was