BREAST MILK FOR ADULTS COULD BE THE NEXT HEALTH SUPPLEMENT CRAZE DowDuPont Inc. and BASF SE are investing significantly to ramp up production of an indigestible sugar found naturally in breast milk. Infant formula makers like Nestle SA can’t get enough of the synthetic ingredient.
WALMART TAKING PET HEALTH SERIOUSLY
MOOSEHEAD BREWERIES AND SPROUTLY TEAM UP FOR JOINT VENTURE Moosehead Breweries Ltd., Canada’s oldest and largest independent brewery, is the latest beverage company to jump on board with a joint venture to enter the cannabis-in- fused beverage market once legalized in Canada. An affiliate of the independent brewer, OCC Holdings Inc., is partnering with Sproutly Canada Inc. to develop, produce and market non-alcoholic beverages using Sproutly’s natu- rally produced water soluble cannabinoids. Moosehead’s 152 years of experience and infrastructure will allow the joint venture to more quickly get the Sproutly’s cannabis-infused beverages to market. Health Canada has said the final rules about edibles must be brought into force no later than Oct. 17, a year after rec- reational cannabis use was legalized.
NESTLE IN TALKS TO SELL SKIN HEALTH UNIT Nestle’s skin health unit, which sells Cetaphil, was formed in 2014 when it bought a stake in cosmetics brand L’Oreal. Nestle was put up for sale last Sep- tember, as part of its business strategy to deal with underperform- ing businesses in an effort to fend off criticism from an activist investor demanding an overhaul. At this time no details have been released but it is rumored that a deal could be in place by the end of may or early June.
Walmart has announced that it will be opening more veterinary clinics in its stores and launching its first online pet pharmacy, hoping to lure more U.S. pet owners who are spending billions of dollars each year on their fur babies. Walmart currently operates 21 vet- erinary clinics in its stores across six states, but over the next 12 months, Walmart intends to grow that number to 100. The retailer will also launch an online pet pharmacy, WalmartPetRX.com, rivaling PetSmart’s e-commerce business, Chewy.com, which also has an online pharmacy unit. Walmart said its website will offer low-cost prescrip- tions for dogs, cats, horses and live- stock, from more than 300 brands.
But it looks like these companies are now looking at an even bigger customer, the infant’s parents and other adults.
Human milk oligosaccharide is the third most common solid in breast milk, after lactose and fat. HMO escapes diges- tion, allowing it to reach the colon where it feeds beneficial bacteria. In babies and infants, HMOs strengthen the developing immune system, helping fight infection and inflammation while aiding brain development, according to early research. New studies show those benefits may extend to people of all ages, fitting neatly into consumers’ growing fascination with probiotics that can help keep healthier. As fascination that DuPont estimates could trend into a $1 billion market.
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JUNE 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019
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