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{{Short description|Healthcare company in the Netherlands}}
{{distinguish|Nutricia North America}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Danone Baby and Medical Nutrition B.V.
| former_names = {{plainlist|
* N.V. Nutricia (1896–1998)
* Royal Numico N.V. (1998–2009)
}}
| logo = Nutricia company logo.svg
| logo_size = 200
| image = Nutricias Chocomel Zoetermeer asbak pic1.JPG
| type = [[privately held company|Private]] (1896–2007)
| industry = [[healthcare industry|Healthcare]]
| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
| founded = {{start date and age|1896}} in the [[Netherlands]]
| founder = Martinus van der Hagen <br/> Jan van der Hagen <ref name=fund/>
| defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| fate = Acquired by [[Danone]] in 2007, which took over the "Nutricia" brand.
| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->
| hq_location_city =
| hq_location_country = [[Netherlands]]
| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| key_people =
| products = [[Therapeutic food]]
| owner = [[Danone]]
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent =
| brands = Nutricia
| website = {{url|https://www.nutricia.com/|nutricia.com}}
}}
'''Nutricia''' is a [[Danone]] brand that specialises in [[therapeutic food]] and infant formula, including [[clinical nutrition|medical nutrition]] for babies with specific needs.
The former company, '''N.V. Nutricia.''', was established in [[The Netherlands]] by brothers Jan and Martinus van der Hagen, who started the production of [[infant formula|infant milk formula]] in 1896 and diabetic milk products and iodine enriched milks in 1905. <ref name=fund>[http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/royal-numico-n-v-history/ History of Royal Numico N.V.] on Funding Universe</ref>
== History==
{{multiple image
|align = left
|total_width = 250
|image1 = Jan vanderhagen.jpg
|image2 = Martinus vanderhagen.jpg
|footer = Jan and Martinus van der Hagen, founders of Nutricia
}}
In 1885, the German professor Alexander Backhaus developed a technique in his laboratory that removed the more slowly digested [[casein]] protein from cow’s milk, leaving behind only the faster dissolving and more easily digestible whey proteins.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=9zAKAwAAQBAJ&q=Nutricia&pg=PT163 From milk by-products to milk ingredients: upgrading the cycle] De Boer, R. Wiley, 2014</ref> Backhaus’ new formulation was better tolerated and closer in composition to [[breast milk|human milk]]. Since the composition of cow’s milk was not appropriate for feeding infants and could, at that time, be a source of disease contributing to high infant mortality across Europe.<ref>[https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/pdf/10.3138/cbmh.15.2.317 Major Medical Explanations for High Infant mortality in Nineteenth-Century Europe - VINCENT J. KNAPP]</ref><ref>[https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/6806299.pdf Long-Term Factors in American Economic Growth]. Stanley L. Engerman and Robert E. Gallman, eds. University of Chicago Press. {{ISBN|0-226-20928-8}} 1986</ref>
Backhaus filed a [[patent]] and presented his invention at a medical conference in [[Berlin]] in 1896 where Johannes van der Hagen, a medical doctor, and Dutch Public Health Inspector, was in the audience. Johannes introduced Backhaus to his brother, Martinus van der Hagen, who owned a factory in The Netherlands producing margarine and dairy products.<ref name="Drivers of Innovation" >{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3as6AQAAQBAJ&q=professor+alexander+backhaus&pg=PA5|title = Drivers of Innovation in Pediatric Nutrition|isbn = 9783805594554|last1 = Koletzko|first1 = B.|last2 = Ruemmele|first2 = F.|last3 = Koletzko|first3 = S.|date = 22 July 2010}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=9zAKAwAAQBAJ&q=Nutricia&pg=PT163 From milk by-products to milk ingredients: upgrading the cycle] De Boer, R. Wiley, 2014</ref><ref name="cross border investing">[https://books.google.com/books?id=kKISBwAAQBAJ&dq=nutricia+van+der+hagen+diabetes+goitre&pg=PA225 Cross-Border Investing: The Case of Central and Eastern Europe]. Djarova J. Springer, 2004.</ref> Backhaus granted them rights to manufacture his infant milk formula.
[[File:Nutricia ad in funeral in china.jpg|thumb|left|Nutricia advertisement seen on a wall during a funeral in Asia, 1921]]
In 1901, the "Nutricia" name was adopted and became known as “The Wet Nurse of The Netherlands.”<ref name="Drivers of Innovation"/> Five years later, Nutricia began to introduce new special diet products such as low-sugar milk for diabetic patients and iodine-rich milk for those suffering from [[goitre]],<ref name="cross border investing">[https://books.google.com/books?id=kKISBwAAQBAJ&dq=nutricia+van+der+hagen+diabetes+goitre&pg=PA225 Cross-Border Investing: The Case of Central and Eastern Europe]. Djarova J. Springer, 2004.</ref> marking the beginnings of [[clinical nutrition|'medical nutrition']] as a category.
In 1924, Nutricia moved its main (powder) production facilities (from van der Hagen's original factory) to the N.V. Cuijk's Dairy Factory. For almost 100 years, this factory has been producing specialized nutritional solutions for infants and young children with special dietary needs. In 1946 Nutricia sets up its first research facilities in [[Zoetermeer|Zoetermeer, The Netherlands]].
In 1950, Nutricia introduced ‘Voedingsnieuws’ ‘Nutrition News’, a group of dieticians who travelled around The Netherlands and to other countries, educating healthcare professionals on the role of specialized nutrition.
In 1986 Nutricia opened a consumer Care Line, managed by qualified dieticians helping consumers, carers and healthcare professionals. The company changed its name to "Koninklijke Numico N.V.", or "Royal Numico N.V.", in 1998.<ref name=fund/>
In 2007, French conglomerate [[Danone]] acquired Royal Numico for €12.3 billion, after the Numico board accepted the offer.<ref name="cross border investing" /><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-danone-numico-idUSL1087495920070710 Danone pays a high price for Numico's growth] By David Jones on Reuters, 10 Jul 2007</ref> Danone announced ownership of over 90% of Numico's shares on 31 October 2007, declaring its offer for the remainder unconditional.<ref>"Danone says Numico bid unconditional, holds 90.5 pct". Reuters. 31 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-08.</ref> As a result, Numico was removed from the AEX index. The company's shares were delisted from the [[Euronext Amsterdam|Amsterdam Stock Exchange]] at the end of 2007 as Danone gained full control.<ref>"Delisting of shares" (PDF). Euronext. 29 November 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 2008-02-19.</ref>  The brands owned by Numico -Nutricia, Milupa (part of Nutricia since 1995) and Cow & Gate (part of Nutricia since 1981) became part of Danone and is currently named Danone Baby and Medical Nutrition B.V..
==See also==
* [[Anikspray]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{commons cat}}
* {{Official website}}
{{Group Danone}}
[[Category:Food and drink companies of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Baby food manufacturers]]
[[Category:Dutch brands]]
[[Category:Groupe Danone brands]]