We want to give back to nutrition industry with our scientific research, says Swisse Wellness CEO
Australian health and nutrition powerhouse Swisse Wellness will invest more money in clinical research and scientific developments, as the firm believes it has a responsibility to ‘give back’ to the industry.
Speaking at the Nutrition Integrates conference in London recently, CEO Radek Sali said the firms ‘power brand’ status means that he believes it should be leading the way when it comes to investing in science and research.
“As an industry, we have not been investing in research,” said Sali. “We have not invested in science and trials, and we need to do that. We need to forget all this patent rubbish, let go of it, and invest.”
The Australian CEO commented that firms should put money in to universities so that the industry as a whole can build on the research.
“There is a tonne of research out there already … but who is actually reviewing it?” he asked. “We live in a capitalist society. We need to encourage it through investment, and drive that investment.”
Sali said Swisse has recently announced a new investment of $15 million in association with La Trobe University in Australia – which will assist with clinical trials ‘in every one of our products.’
“Our vision is that we have every product having two double blind clinical trials as an absolute minimum, over our complete range – even if evidence already exists, like say for vitamin C or vitamin D, we’ll still do another two double blind clinical trials on those products.”
He added that the rest of the industry is free to use data from the studies that will be performed by Swisse Wellness to back up their own science and claims.
“It is our responsibility as leaders in the market, that we need to invest back,” said CEO. “There hasn’t been a power brand in the health and wellness category, there hasn’t been somebody investing back in the research, and we see this as a really really important responsibility as we go forward.”
