Nestlé Courts People Taking Weight-Loss Drugs With Frozen Pizza

This content was published on May 21, 2024 - 15:57

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(Bloomberg) — Nestlé SA is launching a new line of frozen foods specifically targeting users of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, pouncing on a weight-loss drug craze that is changing eating habits and impacting industries spanning retailers to airlines.

The portion-controlled food line, dubbed Vital Pursuit, will include high protein, fiber and other nutrients like calcium, iron and vitamin A, the company said on Tuesday.

The weight-loss drugs help people shed pounds by reducing caloric intake, which leads to losing muscle alongside fat. So some doctors suggest their patients eat high-protein foods to help stem muscle loss.

Nestlé says its new food line will include pasta, sandwich melts and pizza, all with a suggested retail price of $4.99 or less. Gluten-free options will also be available. It will be available at select retailers by the fall, beginning with 12 products.

“Vital Pursuit provides accessible, great-tasting food options that support the needs of consumers in this emerging category,” said Steve Presley, Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé North America. “We’re leveraging our deep understanding of consumers and nutritional science to stay ahead of the trends that are shaping consumer behaviors.”

The company cited statistics showing the growing market for such products, including that one in 60 adults were prescribed GLP-1s in 2023, a number that is expected to increase this year, according to the American Pharmacists Association. JP Morgan Research has predicted that by 2030, as many as 30 million Americans could be GLP-1 users.

Read More: Beyond Wegovy, the Search Is On for Muscle-Saving Obesity Drugs