Nestle, the world's biggest food group, is creating a new unit to focus on healthcare nutrition, underlining the group's focus on the profitable health and wellness area. Luis Cantarell will head the unit aimed at targeting new opportunities between food and pharma from the start of next year.
Nestle said as a result of this Chris Johnson would join the Nestle executive board, taking up the role of executive vice president in charge of Zone Americas.
Nestle also said Nandu Nandkishore would become deputy executive vice president in charge of Nestle Nutrition. The Vevey-based maker of Nescafe coffee, KitKat chocolate bars and Maggi soup, has been pushing a drive into the high-margin area of healthy eating as consumers become increasingly aware of the health benefits of eating properly.
Nestle Health Science will become operational from January 1, 2011 as a wholly-owned subsidiary and will be run at arm's length from Nestle's main food, beverages and nutrition activities, the group said, adding it will incorporate its HealthCare Nutrition unit.
The HealthCare Nutrition unit had a turnover of 1.6 billion Swiss francs ($1.63 billion) in 2009, while Nestle as a group has annual sales of over 100 billion francs.