This week is Dietitians Week and here at Nestlé we are celebrating the vital work that our dietitians at Nestlé Health Science and across the business are doing.
Some of our dietitians work closely with the National Health Service (NHS) and other healthcare professionals to help support patients at every life stage; from childhood to later years and every day in between. Their work covers anything from working closely with dietitians in the hospital or community setting, to creating educational tools and services, initiating clinical trials and providing insights for new innovations.
Have a look at our video explaining the role of Nestlé Health Science in improving patient outcomes.
Across the business we also have dietitians who work on general food and drinks for consumers and restaurants, as well as creating healthy eating initiatives.
Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs)
One of the areas that Nestlé Health Science dietitians are working on is ensuring our range of FSMPs bring as much value to the patients that use them as possible. FSMPs are specialist nutrition products and most of them need to be prescribed. The products must be used under medical supervision by a healthcare professional.
These include:
- oral nutrition supplements (milkshake style or juice style drinks)
- tube feeds
- food and drink thickeners for people who cannot swallow safely
- specialist feeds for cows' milk allergy and inflammatory bowel disease.
How FSMPs can help improve quality of life
FSMPs can help to improve the quality of life for many people and their families. Healthcare professionals can recommend FSMPs at times of being unwell or experiencing gut related issues, for example reflux or vomiting, so the appropriate nutrition is provided to meet the special dietary requirements.
FSMPs may help with the dietary management of
- meeting nutritional needs
- vomiting issues
- constipation.
They may also with freeing up time to allow for days out and visits to see healthcare professionals.
Learn more about the benefits of FSMPs here.
Read more about our dietitian's work from Sharan, a qualified dietitian, who talks about her work in Nestlé Health Science and her area of expertise, tube feeding.