Nestlé strikes a deal to acquire collagen food company Vital Proteins
The brand is a collagen-led manufacturer with a product line ranging from supplements, beverages, and foods sold across North America and Europe
Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) has agreed to acquire a majority stake in the collagen food company. Vital Proteins. headquartered in Illinois, is a well-establish wellness brand offering supplements, beverages, and food products. Upon completion of the deal, Vital Proteins will continue to operate as a standalone business.
Vital Proteins has 150 SKUs across 35,000 retail doors in North America and Europe, including Whole Foods, Costco, Target, Walgreens and Kroger.
The Swiss food maker giant said the acquisition will equip Vital Proteins with a variety of resources to scale their reach and innovation in pursuit of global wellness.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Nestlé Health Science to enter a growing area of nutrition with a successful brand,” said Greg Behar, chief executive of NHSc.
Vital Proteins complements NHSc’s other vitamin, mineral, supplement and wellness brands, including Atrium Innovations, Garden of Life, Pure Encapsulations and Persona, each with a unique area of speciality and focus.
Behar commented: “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.”
For Kurt Seidensticker, founder and chief executive of Vital Proteins, the deal will allow the company to continue the evolution of the functional nutrition space through premium products and innovation that meet customers where they are in their wellness journey.
“Joining NHSc allows us to take Vital Proteins to the next level by leveraging resources, scale and capabilities, and moving toward a future with an expanded offering of science-backed products,” he said.
Seidensticker will continue to lead Vital Proteins with the same entrepreneurial spirit that has made it so successful, remaining as chief executive based at the company headquarters in Chicago.
Financial details of the sale have not been disclosed.
A powerful protein
Collagen is the most abundant protein found in the body, representing nearly 30% of all human protein content and 70% of the protein content found in the skin.
It is a key component of connective tissues, supporting the health of skin, hair, nails, bones and joints.
Collagen production in the body starts to decline at about age 25, thus making collagen supplementation fundamental to wellness and longevity.
This will be Nestlé’s first acquisition of a collagen-based wellness company to date, proving that consumer mindsets are shifting toward bettering one’s personal well-being.