05.01.07
As part of the continuing drive to reinforce its leadership in nutrition, Nestlé, Vevey, Switzerland, has agreed to acquire Gerber, the U.S. baby food brand, from Novartis for a total amount of $5.5 billion. The move gives Nestlé the number one position in the world’s largest single baby food market, the U.S., and establishes it as a global leader in this sector. With this acquisition, Nestlé Nutrition will also leverage its existing strong core business in North America, giving the company significant scale in infant, healthcare and performance nutrition. Nestlé also claims that this acquisition, which comes in the wake of the Jenny Craig and Novartis Medical Nutrition purchases, will transform Nestlé Nutrition into a business with an enhanced critical mass and access to the group’s global R&D network to drive innovation.