Nestle Takes a Crack at Medical Foods

Touting the nutritional and health benefits of foods and beverages has fallen into a bit of disfavor recently in the western world, with both U.S. and European health-claims regulators getting tougher about what CPG manufacturers can say.

But with a nod to Jamie Lee Curtis, we are what we eat. And there’s no doubt that consumers around the world are looking more and more for “better-for-you” foods. So Nestle figures it’s time to place a bigger bet on the ultimate goal: development of truly “medical foods” that could be counted on to address human ills in a proactive and effective way, much as drugs do.

The Swiss dairy and confection giant, long considered one of the best-managed global food companies, is acquiring CM&D Pharma, a U.K.-based pharmaceutical startup that has developed a chewing gum (sold under the brand name of Fostrap) for kidney-disease sufferers.Continue reading...