Nestlé partners with South African scientists

Nestlé is entering into a new research partnership with the government of South Africa which it is hoped will contribute to the scientific development of the country and the continent as a whole.

The arrangement will offer South African scientists exposure to Nestlé’s extensive research capabilities, in particular the company’s expertise in nutrition, food science and food safety.

It will also allow Nestlé to better understand the nutrition needs of consumers in South Africa, and accelerate the development of products with an improved nutrition profile at the right price for consumers in emerging markets.

The partnership with South African scientists is being coordinated by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), part of the government’s Department for Science and Technology (DST).

Sharing scientific expertise

“We are delighted to have this opportunity to fund future research projects at the CSIR and to share expertise with the South African scientific community,” said Nandu Nandkishore, Nestlé’s Executive Vice President and Head of Zone Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Middle East.

“We expect the collaboration will help to provide the scientific basis for sound nutrition and food safety policies, as well as identify research needs for science-based regulations on food, nutrition and health.”

Importance of biodiversity

Some of the researchers taking part in the partnership will study how locally sourced ingredients can be used to create foods that provide health benefits.

Part of Nestlé’s global research and development effort is directed towards discovering new bioactive ingredients.

Researchers also test how well these ingredients target different tissues in the body once ingested, as well as their effectiveness in helping to promote health.

The company recognises the importance of biodiversity and fully supports the principle of fair access to local ingredients and to the sharing of their benefits, as described in the Convention on Biological Diversity of 1993 and the more recent Nagoya Protocol of 2010 .

Developing the biosciences industry

“The joint venture will add value to our indigenous resources through exposure to modern technologies for developing new food products,” said Dr Sibusiso Sibisi, the CSIR’s Chief Executive Officer.

“New products developed through this collaboration will be manufactured in South Africa in compliance with international standards, leading to the development of new skills and ultimately the creation of new jobs in the biosciences industry,” he added.

Positive impact on consumers

The partnership was agreed after delegates from the CSIR, DST and other South African government departments visited the Nestlé Research Center in Switzerland.

The Nestlé Research Center is one of two centres for fundamental scientific research and innovation at Nestlé.

It supports all of the company’s product categories with scientific and technological expertise.