Nestlé Launches Boost Beverage, Enters Weight Management Market

Nestlé, one of the world’s leading packaged food manufacturers, has launched its protein product line in the U.S. market, aimed at helping those managing their weight control appetite. This move marks Nestlé's further expansion into the growing field of weight management products. The company, known for producing Kit Kat chocolate bars and Nesquik milkshakes, claims that its products can stimulate the body’s natural responses, similar to weight loss medications introduced by companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, although with relatively milder effects.

Novo Nordisk recently launched the Wegovy brand, while Eli Lilly introduced Zepbound. These weekly weight loss injections mimic the action of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), a gut hormone that helps suppress appetite and promote feelings of fullness.

Nestlé’s new product, named Boost, is a pre-meal hunger support beverage recommended to be consumed 30 minutes before meals, primarily targeting consumers using GLP-1 medications or other weight loss drugs. The product started selling last month.

Nestlé's Chief Technology Officer Stefan Palzer told Reuters, “By increasing natural GLP-1 levels, it helps control hunger, thereby significantly impacting satiety.” On Amazon, the product is priced at $10.99 for a box of four, and it is available at select CVS stores and newly established label stores, containing 10 grams of whey protein, 45 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and is fat-free. Marketing emphasizes its role in promoting “natural GLP-1 responses to diet.”

Palzer also noted that the product helps people maintain weight after weight loss. However, Dr. Lora Heisler, Chair of Human Nutrition at the Rowett Institute, stated that it remains unclear whether the product will have long-term positive effects on weight loss. She commented, “I believe this protein helps release more GLP-1, but a glass of milk might have a similar effect.”

Earlier this year, Nestlé launched new frozen pizzas and protein-rich pasta in the U.S., specifically designed for consumers taking weight loss medications. Analysts predict that the global weight loss drug market could reach $150 billion annually within the next decade.

Last year, U.S. retail giant Walmart reported a slight decline in food consumption after consumers began taking weight loss medications, which led to a drop in stock prices for companies including Nestlé. Palzer emphasized that this formulation is not intended to replace weight loss drugs and its effects are not comparable.

Nestlé stated that the product is based on a rapidly digestible peptide blend designed to provide consumers with amino acids to help control hunger. Whey protein microgels help slow digestion, thus extending the interaction time with GLP-1 hormone receptors in the gut.

Nestlé also mentioned a randomized study conducted in 2021 involving 26 patients with type 2 diabetes, who consumed either low doses of whey protein microgel or a placebo water along with meals designed to produce sufficient glucose peaks. After one week, participants on whey protein switched to the placebo, while those on the placebo switched to whey protein. Results showed that, two hours post-meal, the whey protein group had blood glucose levels 22% lower than the placebo group, while also positively impacting GLP-1 hormone levels.