Nestlé Acquires Vitaflo for $38 Million

Nestlé has acquired Vitaflo (Liverpool, UK), a global provider of clinical nutritional products, for 40 million francs ($38 million), according to a Nestlé press release sent out on Monday. The transaction allows Nestlé to enter the global market for clinical nutrition products tailor-made for people with inherited metabolic disorders. This sector is growing rapidly as improved diagnosis and screening enable increasing numbers of cases to be detected, and new advances in science demonstrate the benefits of specialised nutrition as an integral part of clinical management.

Vitaflo has approximate annual sales of CHF 40 million ($38 million) and has enjoyed double-digit growth in the order of 30% over the last 3 years. The acquisition price is not disclosed.

Vitaflo's products are developed for infants, children, and adults with genetic disorders that affect how food is processed by the body. These disorders include phenylketonuria (PKU), maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) and homocystinuria (HCU). Inborn errors of metabolism are infrequent at an estimated 1 in 2,500-50,000 births depending on the disorder but persist from birth to adulthood. They constitute a significant proportion of genetic disorders detected in newborn babies.

Vitaflo's successful business model is underpinned by its leading science, research and product development. It is well aligned with Nestlé's global commitment to develop innovative nutritional solutions with proven health benefits, and to work with health care providers and caregivers in offering foods for people with specific nutritional needs.

"We are delighted to welcome Vitaflo into our company, whose people bring with them valuable expertise and know-how in clinical nutrition,' says Richard Laube, CEO of Nestlé Nutrition. 'This will help us to expand our innovation potential in the area of high quality products for infants, children and adults with very specific nutritional needs,"

Original Source: Nestlé