The United States Patent and Trademark Office recognises Nutifood’s proprietary digestive and immunity-support formula, reinforcing Vietnam’s growing presence in global nutrition science and functional dairy innovation.
Vietnamese nutrition and dairy company Nutifood has secured a significant international intellectual property milestone after the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted a patent for its proprietary Foundation of Digestion & Immunity (FDI) Formula, a clinically evaluated nutritional formulation designed to support digestive and immune health in children.
The patent recognition marks a notable advancement not only for Nutifood but also for Vietnam’s broader dairy and nutritional-science ecosystem, positioning the country more prominently within the increasingly competitive global functional nutrition and paediatric health market.
The announcement was made during the anniversary celebration of Nutifood GrowPLUS+, one of the company’s flagship dairy brands developed using the FDI Formula. The event drew participation from senior representatives across Vietnam’s science, technology, food safety and foreign affairs institutions, alongside international stakeholders including the U.S. Consul General and the California Milk Advisory Board.
Developed by the Nutifood Nutrition Research Institute in Sweden (NNRIS) beginning in 2020, the FDI Formula represents an attempt to integrate European nutritional science with research focused specifically on the physiological and dietary requirements of Vietnamese children. The formulation was designed around a dual-targeted nutritional strategy aimed at simultaneously improving digestive health and strengthening immune function to enhance nutrient absorption and support childhood development outcomes.
At the core of the patented formulation lies Nutifood’s proprietary ratio combining 2’-FL HMO (Human Milk Oligosaccharide) with FOS (Fructooligosaccharides) and Inulin, soluble plant-derived fibres widely associated with gut microbiome support and digestive balance.
2’-FL HMO, a bioactive compound naturally found in breast milk, has increasingly attracted global scientific attention for its role in supporting immune-system development and gut health in infants and young children. By combining this compound with prebiotic fibres such as FOS and Inulin, Nutifood positioned the formula as an integrated digestive-immunity support system tailored to paediatric nutritional needs.
According to the company, a clinical study conducted in 2021 by Vietnam’s National Institute of Nutrition demonstrated measurable improvements in digestive conditions including constipation, diarrhoea and poor appetite among participating children. The study additionally indicated a reduction in susceptibility to respiratory infections, further reinforcing the formula’s dual-function positioning.
The USPTO specifically recognised both the proprietary ratio embedded within the formulation and the clinically evaluated digestive and immune-health benefits associated with its application. Industry observers view the approval as particularly significant given the increasingly rigorous evidentiary standards required for nutrition-related patents in advanced global markets.
The development arrives at a time when the global functional nutrition industry is witnessing accelerated growth, driven by rising consumer focus on preventive healthcare, gut health, paediatric nutrition and science-backed wellness products. Within Asia, the dairy sector is increasingly evolving beyond conventional milk products towards specialised nutritional formulations, value-added functional foods and clinically differentiated wellness solutions.
Nutifood stated that the patent reflects its long-term strategy of investing in evidence-based nutritional science, international R&D capabilities and globally benchmarked product development frameworks aimed at enhancing child nutrition outcomes.
The achievement additionally signals Vietnam’s growing ambitions within higher-value food innovation and intellectual-property-driven nutritional manufacturing, sectors historically dominated by multinational Western and East Asian corporations.
As global food and nutrition industries transition toward science-led differentiation, the USPTO recognition of Nutifood’s FDI Formula underscores a broader shift underway within emerging Asian dairy economies — from volume-driven production models towards research-intensive, innovation-oriented nutritional ecosystems capable of competing on scientific credibility, clinical validation and proprietary intellectual property.
