Nestlé Is Researching Its Products Through A New Unit

Author: Karen Lennox Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: January 27, 2026

In this article, learn more about Nestlé Is Researching Its Products Through A New Unit. The company opens a research and development unit to manage clinical trials..

Nestle, a food company, is opening a new research and development unit to manage clinical trials.

The unit will allow a more effective assessment of the impact of food and ingredients on human biology and health, as well as on taste and pleasure.

Clinical trials are recognized by food authorities around the world as a good way to assess the impact of nutrients or products on consumers.

So far, the company conducted more than 100 clinical trials in 2011 and expects to conduct more in the future.

Clinical development work provides scientific evidence on whether food ingredients, new products and product modifications are effective and beneficial to consumers, explains Werner Bauer, Nestlé's Chief Technology Officer.

Nestlé's Clinical Development Unit will provide medical expertise in a variety of therapeutic areas. It will also offer specialized know-how in areas such as project management, data management and biostatistics - the use of statistics in the analysis of biological data.

The purpose-built building is located in Lausanne, Switzerland, bringing Nestlé together for the first time to manage its global clinical trial programs under one roof.

The Clinical Development Unit has a "Metabolism Unit" for metabolic research in both healthy people and those affected by obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis. It will respond to the company's growing need for internal nutrition research since the establishment of the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences and Nestlé Health Sciences in 2010.

The unit has equipment for exercises that test strength, speed and endurance, as well as specialized scanners to measure bone density and body composition. There is also equipment for "indirect calorimetry" with which scientists measure people's energy during rest and exercise. The unit also has sensory cabins, a kitchen and a dining room, as well as a room for clinical observations for metabolic research. The Metabolism Unit is accredited as a private health facility by the local cantonal authorities.

Nestlé Is Researching Its Products Through A New Unit

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