Nestlé announces plans to launch frozen foods targeting Ozempic and Wegovy users

Nestlé has announced plans to launch frozen foods that target weight-loss drug users.

In the last year, GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have skyrocketed in use as celebrities like Oprah Winfrey have credited them with their slimmer figures. With the growing number of consumers taking the drugs, Nestlé has revealed plans to launch the new frozen-food brand, Vital Pursuit, aimed at the burgeoning demographic.

According to a recent survey from the health policy research organization KFF, an estimated one in eight adults in the US have used a GLP-1 drug at one point, and nearly half of that number are currently undergoing the process. By 2035, research from Morgan Stanley indicates that the total number of US consumers on the medication could increase to a whopping 31.5 million, or nine percent of the total population.

This increase has had a ripple effect on consumer habits according to Walmart US CEO John Furner, who told Bloomberg in October that data showed that customers who picked up GLP-1 prescriptions from their pharmacies were notably buying not only less food but items with fewer calories. With patients taking the medication reportedly eating less often - due to fewer cravings as well as a desire for more protein rather than sugary and fatty foods - investors are worried about what this means for the future of food and beverage companies and fast-food chains.

Nestlé sees this as a lucrative opportunity to take advantage of a growing, untapped market. The company’s CEO of North America Steve Presley explained to CNBC that dieting is a part of a bygone era.

“The reality is, for the last 25 years, the diet has been dying,” Presley said. “For me, what we’ve done is actually given consumers a new tool that actually gives them confidence and success on this journey.”

With Vital Pursuit, Presley noted that Nestlé aims to help consumers along their ongoing health journey by providing them with the nutrients they need. The new brand will join Nestlé’s other health-focused frozen food brand Lean Cuisine - founded in 1981 - but the difference is that the new brand is specifically geared towards weight-loss drug users who need to consume more protein amid muscle loss that often occurs with the drugs.

Presley explained: “The consumer research shows that there are certain nutrients and certain macros that need to be delivered to actually help the consumers stay healthy along the journey of the GLP-1 treatment.”

The new brand will initially offer 12 items including frozen bowls with whole grains or protein-packed pasta as well as sandwich melts and pizzas that include one or more essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, or iron. They also plan on selling gluten-free items, too. Although the brand’s packaging will not include mentions of GLP-1 drugs, upcoming social media campaigns for the brand will directly tie the new products to the drugs.

These items will reportedly be retailed at affordable prices from $4.99 and under and will be expected to hit the freezer aisle in the fourth quarter.

The new brand isn’t a surprising move from Nestlé, especially since they’ve been leaning into more health-focused products since selling their US candy business - including brands Butterfinger, Crunch, and Laffy Taffy - to Ferrero for $2.8bn.