Nestle acquires majority stake in Vital Proteins

Sales of collagen supplements are booming worldwide.

According to Grand View Research, the US data tracker, global sales are expected to reach US$7.5 billion (AUD$10.98 billion) by 2027.

Nestle is no stranger to beauty-related nutritional supplements.

The Swiss giant owns 23 per cent of L’Oréal – a stake worth US$25 billion.

The two companies created a joint venture called Inneov in 2002 to retail concentrated nutritional supplements through pharmacies.

But the brand’s annual sales were peanuts – 52 million euros (AUD$85.7 million) – for the multi-billion-dollar titans and the company was shuttered in 2014.

Nestle Health Science (NHSc) is getting back into the inner beauty game with the acquisition of a majority stake in Vital Proteins, a US-based collagen company selling supplements, drinks and food products.

Vital Proteins makes 150 SKUs and they are available in 35,000 doors in North America and Europe, including Costco, Wholefoods, Target and Walgreens.

The company will operate as a standalone business but will be able to access Nestle’s enormous resources and expertise to ramp up its wellness credentials.

The deal is Nestle’s first acquisition in the collagen category.

This is an exciting opportunity for Nestle Health Science to enter a growing area of nutrition with a successful brand, notes Greg Behar, CEO of NHSc.

“Our companies share the belief that nothing is more important than health, and everything we do is focused on that belief. In combining our efforts to optimise health through nutrition, we can achieve even more to help our consumers live fuller, more vibrant lives.”