Outstanding research Nestlé strives to find new ways to meet the specific nutritional needs of people at every stage of their lives.

Nestlé believes that breast-milk is the best and most natural food for babies. It provides components that nourish, protect and develop infants.

However, for mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed their babies, Nestlé strives to produce the highest quality of infant formulas.

Ever since Henri Nestlé’s first baby food in 1867, advances in scientific knowledge, particularly in the field of infant metabolism and physiology, have continuously led to new generations of infant formulas.

The Nestlé Research Centre, with the support of the Product Technology Centres, has played an important role in this respect and has contributed to the following developments:

• Use of probiotics in infant formula

  Breast milk is a source of probiotics, which boost babies’ immune system and reduce risk of infections and allergies. Nestlé was among the first to enhance infant formulas with probiotics to encourage the development of healthy bacteria in the intestinal microflora.

• Hypoallergenic infant formula

  Breast milk also contains several bioactive compounds that naturally reduce the sensitisation to allergens and build up tolerance of foreign proteins. In non-breastfed new-borns, cow’s milk protein allergy is the most common food allergy.
  Nestlé has pioneered hypoallergenic infant formula. The protein in these formulas is less likely to trigger an allergic reaction because it has been broken down into smaller ‘peptides’.

• Infant formula for Caesarean-born babies

  Nestlé was the first company to market starter formulas designed specifically to address the specific needs of babies born by Caesarean section. Babies delivered by C-section lack the microflora that would initially colonise the gut during a natural birth, making them more susceptible to allergies and intestinal infections.

• Infant formula for premature babies

  Premature babies cannot be fed directly from the breast or bottle until they have reached 32-34 weeks, and must be fed tiny amounts through a tube placed through the nose into the stomach. They also have special nutritional needs – they grow faster than full-term babies, and have immature digestive systems. Nestlé Nutrition was the first to offer an effective, research-based formula for premature babies.

• Infant Cereals

  Nestlé Infant Cereals are the first cereals for infants with Bifidus BL and Immunonutrients, scientifically proven to help strengthen babies’ natural defences day by day during the critical period of weaning and through the first years of life.