Nestle has announced the creation two new organizations: Nestle Health Science S.A. and the Nestle Institute of Health Science. Nestle says their purpose will be finding “cost effective ways to prevent and treat acute and chronic diseases in the 21st century.” Their idea of finding “a new opportunity between food and pharma” may sound good, but regulators in the U.S. and the European Union might get their hackles up. It was only last year that Cheerios’ healthy heart claims got them in hot water.
There is no denying that the food/pharma crossroads makes marketing sense. Consumers continue to be eager for healthy food from brands they trust. This video shot during the FDA targeting of Cheerios shows that consumers trust that brand more than they do the FDA: