Nestle uses AI to create products for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy

Nestle Transforms Weight-Loss Drug Challenge Into AI-Driven Business Opportunity

Nestle is leveraging AI and nutritional science to develop specialized products targeting the growing market of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs users, transforming what investors feared could threaten packaged food demand into a significant business opportunity1

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. The company's Chief Technology Officer Stefan Palzer told Reuters that Nestle is using AI to analyze clinical research, identify nutrient combinations, and develop products tailored to consumers taking medicines such as Ozempic and Wegovy1

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. "We are well positioned with the portfolio. It's a huge opportunity for our company," Palzer stated2

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Around 16 million Americans are currently taking GLP-1 medicines, according to Boston Consulting Group, with that figure expected to rise sharply by the end of the decade1

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. The rapid adoption of drugs made by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly has fueled investor concerns that appetite-suppressing medicines could permanently reduce demand for packaged foods, snacks and beverages2

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. However, Nestle believes these GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are creating a new market for products designed to address the side effects of rapid weight loss4

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Addressing Muscle Loss and Side Effects Through AI-Powered Research

Nestle's scientists have been studying the consequences of rapid weight loss and developing products for weight loss drug users designed to help consumers manage them1

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. The company is using AI tools to process large volumes of clinical research and identify combinations of nutrients that may help support muscle health, hydration and nutritional intake2

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. Presentation materials shown to Reuters detailed side effects associated with rapid weight loss, including muscle loss and the loss of facial fat often referred to as "Ozempic face"1

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"A big part of weight loss is that people lose lean muscle mass," Palzer explained2

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. "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," he said1

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. Nestle has begun adding collagen protein to products under its Vital Proteins brand to address concerns around skin, hair and nail health linked to rapid weight loss4

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Palzer said Nestle had also patented combinations of proprietary ingredients designed to reduce post-treatment appetite among consumers who often experience increased hunger after discontinuing GLP-1 treatments2

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Products Already Launched for Users of Weight-Loss Drugs

The company has already launched products aimed at users of weight-loss drugs1

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. Nestle's U.S. business created Boost Advanced Nutrition Shake, marketed as containing 35 grams of protein to support muscle health during weight loss2

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. In Asia and Australia, Nestle has introduced a higher-protein version of its Milo malt drink called Milo PRO High Protein1

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Nestle has been reformulating some products to account for the dulled taste perception that can accompany GLP-1 use, running trials with consumers to map how the drugs affect flavor experience3

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. Marketing chief David Rennie said GLP-1 users would be brought in as collaborators during product development, with potential adjustments including heavier use of spices3

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AI in Food Innovation: Food Genie and Consumer Behavior Analysis

AI is playing a growing role throughout Nestle's product development process2

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. The company has developed internal systems to analyze scientific literature, simulate consumer behavior, identify emerging trends and help product developers navigate a database of roughly 120,000 recipes1

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. Among those tools is an internal platform called Food Genie, which Palzer said helps scientists and product developers predict how recipes might perform and identify opportunities for reformulation2

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"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," Palzer explained1

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. "AI needs data," he added2

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. Nestle is also testing AI-driven consumer simulations designed to predict how shoppers will respond to new products and health claims before they reach shelves4

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The company is also using AI to monitor social media and identify emerging consumer trends2

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. "You see noise around certain topics and then you can conclude whether that's a lasting trend or not," Palzer said1

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. "Increasingly AI will get into this field," he added4

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Expert Skepticism on Specialized Products Versus Whole Foods

Some nutrition experts question whether specialized products offer significant advantages over conventional foods2

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. "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 Nottingham1

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. She noted that meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans, nuts and pulses remain relatively inexpensive sources of protein and nutrients2

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Still, Avery said products specifically marketed to GLP-1 users were likely to find buyers1

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. "Sadly, we are quite influenced by marketing," she said2

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. "Nestle will have done their research," Avery concluded3

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. The GLP-1 market is dominated by Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic1

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