Nestlé has announced that it is in discussions to buy The Bountiful Company.
The confirmation follows earlier reports that it was closing in on a deal to acquire the nutritional supplement maker.
In a statement, Nestlé issued a one-line confirmation, saying 'Nestlé S.A. today announced that it is in discussions to acquire all or part of The Bountiful Company.'
The food giant declined to give further details.
Bountiful, which is majority-owned by private equity firm KKR Co & Inc, makes Nature's Bounty vitamins, Osteo Bi-Flex joint-care supplements and Puritan's Pride vitamins and supplements.
Nestlé, the world's largest packaged food company, has been expanding its presence in consumer healthcare by pushing aggressively to acquire companies in areas beyond traditional food businesses.
Nestlé Acquisitions
Health is seen as a growing sector by Nestlé, and has been the focus of many of its recent acquisitions including buying a majority stake in Vital Proteins, and buying Aimmune Therapeutics and IM HealthScience last year.
Aimmune Therapeutics was integrated into the food group's Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) arm, as a stand-alone business unit, with Greg Behar, CEO of NHSc saying at the time that it marked "an important milestone in our constant pursuit of innovative, science-based nutritional solutions to support healthier lives."
Another recent purchase has been functional water brand Essentia Water, which gave the group 'immediate strong presence in the high-growth, functional water segment', as well as supporting its efforts 'to capture opportunities with emerging consumer trends such as healthy hydration'.
Bountiful was founded in 1971 in New York and is based on Long Island. It employs 4,500 people globally. [Pic: ©Moovstock/123RF.COM]
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