Weight loss drugs are shaking up Big Food, Ag and Health. Experts weigh in on what the industry should do

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The use of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is already changing the way some big food companies are looking at the future. But experts say a larger conversation is begging to be had between food, agriculture, retail and healthcare experts.

A recent study from food product innovation specialist Mattson found consumers taking these medications are changing their eating habits and looking for foods that are packed with protein in small portions and beverages that aid hydration.  

Morgan Stanley analysts anticipate the global market for obesity drugs will reach $105 billion by 2030.

Some large food manufacturers like Nestlé have already spent time and money on product innovation to appeal to this growing group of consumers. 

But food, agriculture, retail and healthcare experts say a larger conversation needs to be had so that the healthcare industry doesn’t chase to solve problems created by Big Food and vice versa all over again.

“It’s an existential threat to the food industry and certainly an existential threat to the processed food industry,” said Marion Nestle, an emeritus professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University who has written extensively on food policy and science. “You’ve got all these things coming together in a way they’ve never come together before,” she told the New York Times.

At the IFT conference in Chicago this month, where food producers convened to talk about trends in the industry, the topic merited a rousing discussion from food, ag and health experts.

“This is something that there are no experts in, but if you combine these perspectives, all of a sudden things kind of start to make sense a little bit,” said  Matt Beebe,  former general manager of the U.S. Therapeutic Nutrition, Abbott Nutrition, and global commercial lead for Lilly Diabetes at the GLP-1 Opportunity panel at IFT First earlier this month. 

Social media has played a big role in encouraging people to live healthier lives, said Beebe, but this has also become one of the biggest barriers to companies finding success in their messaging to consumers. “Things have gotten extremely noisy. The way you become a winner from a brand standpoint is don’t be the noise,” he said. 

Annette Maggi, retail health expert and consulting dietitian had a different perspective than the big pharma executive. Maggi said that certain celebrities not being vocal and transparent about their use of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have caused some unintended negative consequences. Actress Mindy Kaling, for example, who has made statements supporting body positivity, did not initially disclose to her audience that she began taking the drugs, according to Maggi. 

From a dietitian’s perspective, Maggi said one of the things the food industry is not paying enough attention to is the unintended consequences of the drugs.

“So one of the things that you see in the media and you hear is that people on GLP 1s lose a ton of protein status in their body, and you can lose protein, you don’t gain that back when and if you gain weight back. And so we’re gonna end up with people at the end of the day, who are fatter, biochemically in their body than they were at the start,” said Maggi. 

When it comes to product development, Ingredion’s new chief innovation officer Mike Leonard said that companies need to take time and caution when bringing new products to market with these types of claims.

“The risk we face here is that the trend is so powerful that we rush to market before getting the science right and before getting the product design right,” he said. 

Leonard stressed how you don’t get a second chance at making first impressions, and that includes food. 

“So to me the real mandate here, especially for B2B food ingredient companies, is to ask the right questions to get the science right. And then the next part is again, how do you make this thing delicious? We have to have the integrity as a community to have the science done before that happens,” said Leonard. 

Through its recent launches, Ingredion has worked toward its goal of making healthful solutions taste better, and the company has made a commitment to working with healthcare professionals to make sure the science behind their product launches is thorough, according to Leonard. 

“Healthcare providers and the nutrition and dietitian community have always been close to ingredients and we’ve always solicited feedback and participated in that discussion. I think now, with the trend of consumers expecting more and more food, we’re doubling down on that commitment,” he said.

The panelists at IFT agreed the seismic impact of GLP-1 drugs is much bigger than any one company.