Nestle Uses AI to Develop Nutrition Products for GLP-1 Users
RIYADH, Aug 17 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Nestle is drawing on a database of about 120,000 recipes, clinical research and AI-based consumer models to build nutrition products for the growing population using GLP-1 weight-loss medicines.
About 16 million Americans currently take GLP-1 drugs, according to Boston Consulting Group, and that number is expected to rise sharply by the end of the decade.
At the center of Nestle’s development system is Food Genie, an internal platform that allows scientists and product teams to assess how recipes could perform and where their composition could be changed. Other AI tools process scientific literature, simulate consumer reactions to proposed products and health claims, and track early signals emerging on social media.
“AI needs data,” Nestle Chief Technology Officer Stefan Palzer told Reuters.
“You can imagine if you're a small company you have only a thousand recipes. It's very difficult to model and predict recipes using AI,” he said.
The company is also using online activity to assess whether rising interest in a subject represents a durable change in consumer behavior.
“You see noise around certain topics and then you can conclude whether that's a lasting trend or not,” Palzer said.
“Increasingly AI will get into this field.”
Nestle is applying those capabilities to products intended for consumers taking medicines including Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic.
Its US business has introduced Boost Advanced Nutrition Shake, marketed with 35 grams of protein to support muscle health during weight loss. Milo PRO High Protein, a higher-protein version of the company’s malt drink, has been launched in Asia and Australia.
Nestle has also incorporated collagen protein into products sold through its Vital Proteins brand, targeting concerns involving skin, hair and nail health during rapid weight loss.
“We are well positioned with the portfolio. It's a huge opportunity for our company,” Palzer said.
The expansion of appetite-suppressing treatments has prompted concerns that consumers could permanently reduce their purchases of packaged foods, beverages and snacks. Nestle’s strategy instead focuses on the nutritional requirements that may emerge during treatment and after patients stop taking the medicines.
Materials presented to Reuters identified the loss of lean muscle and facial fat among the consequences associated with rapid weight reduction. Nestle researchers are examining nutrient combinations intended to support muscle health, hydration and overall nutritional intake.
“A big part of weight loss is that people lose lean muscle mass,” Palzer said.
“We found a combination of two micronutrients which we industrialized that stimulate the growth of muscle tissue. On one hand you provide protein, on the other hand you stimulate the muscle tissue to grow back faster.”
Palzer also said Nestle had patented a combination of proprietary ingredients intended to reduce appetite among consumers who experience increased hunger after ending GLP-1 treatment.
Whether users need a separate category of specialized food remains open to debate.
“It's quite sad that we turn to new products all the time that are more expensive than whole, fresh food that also contain the same protein and nutrients,” said Amanda Avery, associate professor in nutrition and dietetics at the University of Nottingham in central England.
Avery identified meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans, nuts and pulses as relatively affordable sources of protein and nutrients. She nevertheless expects products marketed specifically to GLP-1 users to attract customers.
“Sadly, we are quite influenced by marketing,” Avery said. “Nestle will have done their research.”
Source: Reuters
