FDBusiness.com

Nestle 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 Nestle’s extensive research capabilities, in particular the company’s expertise in nutrition, food science and food safety.

It will also allow Nestle 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).

“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,” says Nandu Nandkishore, Nestle’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.”

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 Nestle’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.