Specialized Nutrition Pioneer Nutricia Welcomes Real Food Blends

ROCKVILLE, Md. and CHESTERTON, Ind., Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nutricia, part of world-leading food, beverage and nutrition company Danone, today announced the acquisition of Real Food Blends.

Real Food Blends was founded in 2012 by Julie and Tony Bombacino, who were inspired by their young tube-fed son, AJ, and a belief that we all deserve real food. Armed with determination and their love for AJ, the Bombacinos spent years in research and development to create Real Food Blends, and provide access to 100% real food meals and nutritional variety to people with feeding tubes and their families, at home or on-the-go. Nutricia and Real Food Blends share a deep commitment to bring life-changing, and lifesaving, nutrition solutions to people in need, including children and adults with feeding tubes, and their families.

"The Real Food Blends mission is personal for us and for the individuals and families who rely on our products. We want to advance the mission and impact of the company, to help even more people like AJ," said Julie and Tony Bombacino, Founders of Real Food Blends. "After millions of meals sold, the Real Food Blends portfolio still utilizes simple, real ingredients and 100% real food. We found in Nutricia a trusted, like-minded, and experienced company that will continue to innovate, support and introduce blended meals to nourish people in need."

Real Food Blends is the only company that focuses solely on real-food products in the more than $1 billion U.S. tube-feeding market. Nutricia has been committed to transforming lives through the power of nutrition for more than 120 years. With brands such as Neocate, Phenylade, Pro-Stat and KetoCal, Nutricia positively impacts the health and lives of thousands of infants, children, and adults (and their families) in the U.S. and Canada every year. With this acquisition, Nutricia will build upon what the Bombacinos have achieved in 8 short years and help to grow what makes the Real Food Blends portfolio unique—its accessibility, versatility and use of 100% real food ingredients.

"We are excited to continue to grow the Real Food Blends mission and portfolio, to bring even more unique and nutritious options to children and adults with feeding tubes," said Robert Schnurr, CEO of Nutricia North America. "Nutricia understands the critical role that food can play in improving the lives of people with special medical conditions. We are committed to preserving and building on what has made Real Food Blends so valued in the lives of the people who rely on their products, and their families."

Nutricia is part of Danone's Specialized Nutrition business. Danone is a global leader in the food industry and in North America is the world's largest Certified B Corporation®, with a mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible. Through Nutricia's broad reach in the U.S., more parents, adults, and healthcare providers will be made aware of Real Food Blends' unique product offerings.

Both Julie and Tony Bombacino will remain with the company in their current roles of CEO and President respectively.

ABOUT REAL FOOD BLENDS

Real Food Blends makes 100% real food meals for people with feeding tubes. Born from Julie and Tony Bombacino's love for their own son with a feeding tube and a belief that we all deserve real food and nutritional variety, the meals are free of corn syrup and preservatives, are shelf-stable, and covered by many insurance plans. With millions of meals sold, they are available nationwide through DMEs, medical supply, home infusion companies and GPOs or direct via RealFoodBlends.com and Amazon.

ABOUT NUTRICIA

Since 1896, Nutricia has pioneered nutritional solutions that help people live longer, more joyful and healthier lives. Building on more than a century of research and innovation, Nutricia has harnessed the power of life-changing and life-saving nutrition to create a leading specialized nutrition portfolio that can change a health trajectory for life.

With its nutritional solutions, Nutricia supports healthy growth and development during the first 1000 days and helps to address some of the world's biggest health challenges, including in North America: faltering growth, food allergy, rare metabolic diseases, epilepsy and wound healing.

As part of Danone, Nutricia embraces the company's "One Planet. One Health" vision reflecting that the health of people and the health of the planet are interconnected and therefore seeks to protect and nourish both.

For more information visit www.nutricia.com