Nestle: what trials of its medical nutrition products found

The strongest evidence on a Nestle product concerns patients before cancer surgery. A meta-analysis of 16 trials with 1387 people having surgery for gastrointestinal cancer found that immune modulating nutrition taken beforehand cut infectious complications (odds ratio 0.52, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.71) and shortened the hospital stay by 1.57 days. Every trial in it used the same Nestle medical food, and the drop in deaths (odds ratio 0.55, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.68) did not reach significance. Most of the other research we found also tests medical formulas, often with Nestle co-funding. In 100 children with Crohn's disease in remission, two week cycles of exclusive Modulen feeding held 12 month relapse to 49 percent against 76 percent on daily partial feeding with the same product. In 40 adults with mild to moderate Crohn's disease, a pilot trial found remission of 68 versus 57 percent that did not reach significance.

How much is actually in it

• One 8.4 oz (237 g) bottle of Nestle Boost Plus supplies about 327 calories and 12.8 g protein, with 17.3 g carbohydrate per 3.5 oz (100 g). — USDA SR Legacy record for Boost Plus nutritional drink, ready-to-drink Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 138 calories, protein 5.38 g, fat 5.38 g, carbohydrate 17.29 g, calcium 135 mg, vitamin D 2.3 ug; bottle 237 g

What your body absorbs

• In 12 men eating 1.1 oz (30.7 g) a day of cocoa butter as dark chocolate for two weeks, it was absorbed at 99% of corn oil, so it is not a low-calorie fat. — Twelve healthy men, two 2-week periods, metabolic unit at Nestle Research Center (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Digestibility 99% of corn oil; digestible energy 37 kJ/g

What cooking and storage change

• A 2009 US outbreak from ready-to-bake cookie dough eaten raw sickened 77 people in 30 states, and 94% of cases had eaten the dough versus 11% of controls. — Outbreak cases March-July 2009, 30 US states, mostly under 19 years, matched controls (n = 77) Evidence C source
  33 of 35 cases vs 4 of 36 controls ate the dough, matched OR 41.3; 35 hospitalized, 10 hemolytic-uremic syndrome; 3.6 million packages recalled

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of 16 trials with 1387 patients found that Impact immunonutrition before gastrointestinal cancer surgery roughly halved the odds of infectious complications (OR 0.52). — Patients having surgery for gastrointestinal cancer, preoperative oral or enteral immune modulating nutrition (n = 1387) Evidence A source
  Infectious complications OR 0.52 (95% CI 0.38-0.71); hospital stay -1.57 days; mortality OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.18-1.68, not significant)
• In 100 children with Crohn's disease, two-week cycles of exclusive Modulen feeding cut 12-month relapse to 49% versus 76% on daily partial feeding. — Children aged 6-17 y with Crohn's disease in remission after exclusive enteral nutrition, 21 French hospitals, 52 weeks (n = 100) Evidence B source
  Relapse 24/49 (49%) vs 39/51 (76%); adjusted OR 0.29 (95% CI 0.13-0.70)
• In 40 adults with mild to moderate Crohn's disease, adding Modulen partial feeding to the exclusion diet did not significantly raise 6-week remission (68% vs 57%). — Biologic-naive adults 18-55 y with mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease, three Israeli centers, 24 weeks (n = 40) Evidence B source
  Clinical remission 13/19 (68%) vs 12/21 (57%), p = 0.46
• An 8-week Optifast shake program before elective surgery produced 14 lb (6.5 kg) weight loss versus no change with standard advice. — Adults with obesity awaiting elective general surgery, tertiary outpatient clinic (n = 46) Evidence B source
  -14 lb (-6.5 kg) (n = 23) vs +0.33 lb (0.15 kg) (n = 14), P < .001; waist -6.11 vs +0.54 in (1.36 cm)

Safety, limits and interactions

• In 9 adults with obesity and kidney disease on Optifast or frozen-meal low energy diets, weight fell 16 lb (7.3 kg) in 4 weeks with one episode of high potassium. — Obese adults with chronic kidney disease, two 800-1000 calories/day diets for 2 weeks each in random order (n = 9) Evidence B source
  Mean weight change -7.3 +/- 5.6 kg over 4 weeks; one hyperkalemia, one hypoglycemia
• After the 2026 infant formula recalls over cereulide toxin, EFSA set a safe single dose for infants of 0.014 ug per kg body weight. — Infants fed infant or follow-on formula Evidence E source
  ARfD 0.014 ug/kg bw; concern above 0.054 ug/L in reconstituted infant formula and 0.1 ug/L in follow-on formula

What people believe that the data does not support

• Pooled trials found Nestle's partially hydrolyzed whey formula NAN-HA no clearly better than extensively hydrolyzed formulas against infant eczema (RR 0.75, CI crossing 1). — Infants not exclusively breastfed; PHF-W 557 vs whey-based EHF 559 infants (n = 1116) Evidence A source
  RR 0.75 (0.54-1.05) at 0-12 months and 0.80 (0.63-1.02) at 0-36 months versus whey EHF
• The US eczema claim for 100% whey partially hydrolyzed formula, first allowed for a Nestle product in 2011, must admit the evidence is little or very little. — Healthy infants not exclusively breastfed, with a family history of allergy Evidence E source
  Qualified health claim under enforcement discretion, 24 May 2011; relationship judged uncertain

Who this works differently for

• In very preterm infants, those fortified with bovine colostrum had more infections than those on Nestle's PreNAN fortifier (20% vs 12%). — Very preterm infants 26-31 weeks gestation, colostrum (n = 113) vs PreNAN fortifier (n = 116) (n = 229) Evidence B source
  Infection episodes 20% vs 12% (P < 0.05); cumulative infection HR 1.9 (P = 0.06)
• A Nestle co-funded supplement taken before and during pregnancy halved the share of 2-year-olds above the 95th BMI percentile (9% vs 18%). — Women in the UK, Singapore and New Zealand from preconception through pregnancy; children followed to age 2 (n = 484) Evidence B source
  BMI > 95th percentile 22/239 (9%) vs 44/245 (18%), adjusted RR 0.51 (95% CI 0.31-0.82)

The bottom line

The one grocery style record in US tables is Boost Plus. Per 100 g it has 138 calories, 5.38 g protein and 17.29 g carbohydrate, so a 8.4 oz (237 g) bottle gives about 327 calories, from a single 2018 record while recipes change. An 8 week Optifast shake program before elective surgery produced 14 lb (6.5 kg) of weight loss in 23 adults with obesity, against almost no change in 14 controls, in a feasibility trial that lost part of its control group. In a company run study of 12 men, 30.7 g a day of cocoa butter eaten as dark chocolate was absorbed at 99 percent of the rate of corn oil. Infant formula is where the claims outrun the data. Pooled trials found the partially hydrolyzed whey formula NAN-HA did no clearly better than extensively hydrolyzed formulas against eczema (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.54 to 1.05), in an industry supported reanalysis. The US allows an eczema claim for this kind of formula, and the FDA letter calls the relationship uncertain because there is little scientific evidence. Two other infant findings are single trials. Very preterm infants fortified with bovine colostrum had more infection episodes than those on Nestle PreNAN fortifier, 20 against 12 percent, in a secondary analysis. A Nestle co-funded supplement taken from before conception through pregnancy halved the share of 2 year olds above the 95th BMI percentile, 9 against 18 percent (adjusted RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.82), as a secondary outcome. Who should be careful. In 2009 raw ready to bake cookie dough caused an E. coli outbreak in 77 people across 30 US states, mostly under 19. Of the cases, 33 of 35 had eaten the dough against 4 of 36 controls, 35 were hospitalized and 10 developed kidney failure from hemolytic uremic syndrome. The paper calls the product brand A, and CDC and FDA notices name Nestle Toll House. Cookie dough is meant to be baked. After the 2026 infant formula recalls over cereulide toxin, which began with Nestle batches made with contaminated oil, EFSA set a safe single dose of 0.014 ug per kg body weight for infants and later judged the likelihood of exposure low. In 9 adults with obesity and kidney disease on Optifast or frozen meal diets of 800 to 1000 calories a day, weight fell 16 lb (7.3 kg) in 4 weeks, with one episode of high potassium and one of low blood sugar.

Sources

1. nstl-r8-01 · food composition data
   Beverages, NESTLE, Boost plus, nutritional drink, ready-to-drink (FDC 173169, SR Legacy): energy 138 kcal; protein 5.38 g; total lipid 5.38 g; carbohydrate 17.29 g; calcium 135 mg; vitamin D 2.3 ug per 100 g; portion 1 bottle = 237 g
   USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 2018, FDC 173169 (Beverages, NESTLE, Boost plus) · checked 2026-09-30
2. nstl-r8-02 · randomized crossover
   Cocoa butter at a dose of 30.7 g/d in the form of black chocolate, consumed between two meals, was found to have a similar digestibility to that of corn oil (99 % of corn oil digestibility).
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2000 · checked 2026-09-30
3. nstl-r8-11 · case-control
   In the case-control study, 33 of 35 case patients (94%) consumed ready-to-bake commercial prepackaged cookie dough, compared with 4 of 36 controls (11%) (matched odds ratio = 41.3; P < .001); no other reported exposures were significantly associated with illness.
   Clin Infect Dis, 2012 · checked 2026-09-30
4. nstl-r8-03 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Preoperative IMN in patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal cancer reduced infectious complications [odds ratio (OR) 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.38-0.71, P < 0.0001, I = 16%, n = 1387] and length of hospital stay (weighted mean difference -1.57 days, 95% CI -2.48 to -0.66, P = 0.0007, I = 34%, n = 995) when compared with control (isocaloric isonitrogeneous feed or normal diet).
   Ann Surg, 2019 · checked 2026-09-30
5. nstl-r8-06 · randomized controlled trial
   At 12 months, 24 (49%) of 49 patients had relapsed on C-EEN compared with 39 (76%) of 51 patients on PEN (adjusted odds ratio 0·29 [95% CI 0·13-0·70], p=0·0051).
   Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2026 · checked 2026-09-30
6. nstl-r8-07 · randomized controlled trial
   At week 6, 13 (68%) of 19 patients in the CDED plus partial enteral nutrition group and 12 (57%) of 21 patients in the CDED group had achieved clinical remission (p=0·4618).
   Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2022 · checked 2026-09-30
7. nstl-r8-08 · randomized controlled trial
   There was a higher mean weight loss in the intervention group (n = 23) compared to the control group (n = 14) (-6.5 vs +0.15 kg; P = <.001), with no excessive loss of muscle mass (MM), measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis.
   Nutr Diet, 2020 · checked 2026-09-30
8. nstl-r8-09 · randomized crossover
   Adverse events of interest included one episode each of hyperkalaemia and hypoglycaemia.
   J Ren Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-30
9. nstl-r8-12 · agency position
   EFSA's scientists proposed an ARfD of 0.014 μg/kg body weight for cereulide in infants.
   EFSA, EFSA provides rapid risk assessment on cereulide in infant formula, 2 February 2026 · checked 2026-09-30
10. nstl-r8-04 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    This meta-analysis for PHF-W (557 patients) vs. EHF-Whey (559 patients) yielded RR of 0.75 (0.54, 1.05) and 0.80 (0.63, 1.02) at 0-12 months and at 0-36 months, respectively.
    Curr Med Res Opin, 2010 · checked 2026-09-30
11. nstl-r8-05 · regulatory decision
    FDA has concluded that the relationship between 100% Whey-Protein Partially Hydrolyzed infant formulas and the reduced risk of atopic dermatitis is uncertain, because there is little scientific evidence for the relationship.
    US FDA, Qualified Health Claims: Letters of Enforcement Discretion, 100% Whey-Protein Partially Hydrolyzed Infant Formula and Reduced Risk of Atopic Dermatitis, 2011 · checked 2026-09-30
12. nstl-r8-10 · randomized controlled trial
    Adjusted for confounders, infants fortified with BC showed more infection episodes (20 vs 12%, P < 0.05) and higher cumulative infection risk (hazard ratio, HR 1.9, P = 0.06), particularly for SGA infants (HR 3.6, P < 0.05).
    Infection, 2024 · checked 2026-09-30
13. nstl-r8-13 · randomized controlled trial
    At age 2 years, adjusting for study site, infant sex, parity, maternal smoking, maternal prepregnancy BMI, and gestational age, fewer children of mothers who received the intervention had a BMI of more than the 95th percentile (22 [9%] of 239 vs 44 [18%] of 245, adjusted risk ratio 0·51, 95% CI 0·31-0·82, p=0·006).
    Lancet Glob Health, 2023 · checked 2026-09-30