Nutrition research underway at the Nestlé Research Center, part of the world’s largest private nutrition research network.

Nestle is committed to open innovation, through which we multiply our opportunities and leverage research into products and services. This includes partnerships with universities and start-ups, venture capital investment and collaboration with our suppliers.

For example, in February 2007 we formed an agreement with INMEGEN, Mexico's National Institute of Genomic Medicine, through which we fund a chair and two fellowships. And in November 2006 we formed a partnership with EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) to co-operate on scientific research into the role of nutrition in brain development.

The Nestlé Research Center (NRC) based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is the world’s largest private facility for nutrition-related research, with a permanent staff of 700, including over 300 scientists, representing 48 nationalities. The NRC is the hub of Nestlé’s worldwide R&D community, combining global scale with local relevance. It engages in more than 200 external scientific partnerships and university collaborations each year, continuously building a knowledge base to meet changing consumer needs.

Applying science and technology
We apply science and technology to formulate products that address health issues including intestinal health, healthy ageing and sports performance.

• We were among the first to use probiotics - beneficial bacteria that strengthen the immune system - in the early 1990s
• We have developed technologies to replace partially hydrogenated fats with natural vegetable oils in Maggi bouillon cubes and seasonings, and fortify them with iodised salt to help prevent thyroid problems and impaired development of children
• The PowerBar sports nutrition bar includes a supplement proven to provide endurance athletes with long-lasting mental alertness
• A reduced fat cappuccino technology produces the creamy head for Nescafé Cappucino, while reducing the fat content.

Nutrition Symposium
At the NRC’s annual International Nutrition Symposium, leading experts debate current issues in human health and physiology, identify future research directions and publish their conclusions in scientific literature. In October 2007, the fourth Symposium on Nutrition and Cancer explored the role of diet as a risk factor in the origins of cancer, as well as explaining how nutrition can provide preventive solutions. Nestlé International Nutrition Symposium