Nestle USA today announced the appointment of Jose M. Saavedra, M.D. as medical and scientific director of the company’s Nutrition Division. In his new role, Dr. Saavedra will oversee the clinical research, regulatory affairs and medical-related activities for the Nutrition Division.
Dr. Saavedra joins Nestle USA from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Functioning in a dual capacity, Dr. Saavedra will continue to serve his current academic appointment as associate professor in the department of pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the School of Medicine.
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“We are pleased to have Dr. Saavedra fill this important role at Nestle USA,” said Sam Lee, president of the Nutrition Division. “He is a well-respected thought leader in infant and pediatric nutrition and brings years of research and extensive clinical experience that will help strengthen our relationship with the medical community.”
During his twenty-year career, Dr. Saavedra has been involved in a variety of clinical research studies in areas such as gastrointestinal functions in infants and nutritional considerations in pediatric patients with a variety of gastrointestinal conditions. Dr. Saavedra is particularly interested in the area of probiotics — or good bacteria. He has studied the safety and tolerance of infant formulas supplemented with live probiotic bacteria.
“Many people do not realize the extent of Nestle’s involvement and commitment to education in the infant and clinical nutrition areas,” said Dr. Saavedra. “I am eager to strengthen our presence and collaboration with the medical and regulatory communities.”
As part of his responsibilities, Dr. Saavedra will join the Nestle Nutrition Institute (NNI), a multi-disciplinary, educational organization dedicated to the science of healthy nutrition for people of all ages. The NNI was launched in March 2000 to help ensure health care providers have the knowledge, access and motivation to help their patients achieve and maintain good nutrition. “I want to help Nestle continue to be an important player in delivering the best nutrition to the spectrum of ages — children, adults and senior citizens,” Dr. Saavedra added. The Institute’s initial initiatives include exclusive support for pediatric nutrition educational conferences, sponsorship of the Pediatric Resident’s Teaching Conference and collaboration with Contemporary Pediatrics.
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By GlobalDataDr. Saavedra received his M.D. and B.S. from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. He completed his pediatric training at SUNY, Health Science Center, at Brooklyn; and completed his fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Johns Hopkins, where he has remained on the faculty for the last twelve years.
Meeting the nutritional needs of America’s infants, the Nestle USA Nutrition Division is responsible for the manufacture and marketing of such well known baby formula brands as Nestle® Carnation® Good Start®, Alsoy®, Follow-Up(TM) and Follow-Up Soy(TM). In addition, the Nutrition Division is responsible for publishing the “very best” magazine series and www.verybestbaby.com. These initiatives support expecting and new parents with expert advice on infant feeding, baby’s development, and mother’s nutrition and fitness. For more information, health professionals can call the Medical Professional Information Line at 1-800-628-BABY (2229). Headquartered in Glendale, Calif., Nestle USA has 19,500 employees, more than $8 billion in sales and is part of Swiss-based Nestle S.A., the world’s largest food company.
