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The use of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy is already changing how big food companies view the future, but experts say a larger dialogue needs to take place between food, agriculture, retail and health care professionals.
Recent research has shown that Mattson, Food Product Innovation Specialist We found that consumers taking these medications are changing their eating habits, seeking smaller portions of protein-rich foods and beverages that help them stay hydrated.
Morgan Stanley Analysts predict global market for obesity drugs By 2030, it will reach $105 billion.
Several Large food companies like Nestle have already spent time and money It is working on innovating its products to appeal to a growing consumer base.
But food, agriculture, retail and health experts say a broader dialogue is needed to ensure the health care industry doesn’t try to solve problems created by big food companies, and vice versa.
“This is an existential threat to the food industry and certainly an existential threat to the processed food industry.” Marion Nestle, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition, Food Science and Public Health “All of these things are coming together in a way that hasn’t been done before,” she told The New York Times.
At the IFT conference in Chicago this month, where food producers gathered to discuss industry trends, the topic merited lively discussion from food, agriculture and health experts.
“This is an area where we don’t have experts, but when you combine these perspectives, suddenly things start to make a little more sense.” Matt Beebe, former general manager of US therapeutic nutrition at Abbott Nutrition and now global commercial lead at Lilly Diabetes, appeared on the GLP-1 Opportunities panel at IFT First earlier this month.
Beebe said social media has played a big role in inspiring people to live healthier lives, but it has also become one of the biggest obstacles for companies to be successful with their messaging to consumers. “Things have become so noisy and the way to win from a brand perspective is to not be part of the noise,” he said.
Annette McGee, a retail health expert and consulting nutritionist, offered a different perspective than the big pharma executives. She said some celebrities have not been vocal or transparent about their use of drugs like Ozempic and Wegoby, which has led to unintended negative effects. For example, actress Mindy Kaling, a vocal supporter of body positivity, didn’t initially tell audiences that she had started taking drugs, Maggie says.
McGehee said that from a nutritionist’s perspective, one thing the food industry hasn’t paid enough attention to is the unintended effects of drugs.
“One of the things you see and hear in the media is that people who take GLP 1 lose a lot of protein in their body. And when they lose protein, they don’t get it back when they regain weight, so they end up biochemically a fatter person than when they started taking it,” McGee said.
When it comes to product development, Ingredion’s new chief innovation officer, Mike Leonard, said companies need to take time and care when bringing new products to market with such claims.
“The risk we face here is that the trend is so strong that we rush to market before we get the science right and get the product design right,” he said.
Leonard stressed that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and food is no exception.
“So for me, especially as a B2B food ingredient company, the real mission is to ask the right questions to get the science right. And then the next part is, how do we make this delicious? Before we can do that, we have to get the science done with integrity as a community,” Leonard said.
Leonard said that through its recent product launches, Ingredion is working toward its goal of making healthy solutions more delicious, and is committed to working with medical experts to ensure the science behind product launches is thorough.
“The health care provider, nutritionist and dietitian community has always been very close to ingredients and we’ve always sought their feedback and been involved in those discussions. I think we’re doubling down on that now as consumers tend to expect more from their foods,” he said.
IFT panelists agreed that the big impact of GLP-1 drugs is bigger than any one company.
“When it comes to the agriculture industry, how do we create flour producers who grow grains that are more nutritious crops, and then how do we solve that with ingredients for the consumer? We can’t solve everything, but we have to engage in these conversations to create truly new outcomes,” said Tyler Groenefeld, North American grains and oils leader for Corteva Agriscience.
