ZURICH: Nestle has bought the core brands of US vitamin and supplements maker The Bountiful Company for $5.75 billion, the Swiss food giant said Friday as it expands further into the health nutrition sector. Nestle, owner of everything from chocolate to coffee and baby food brands, said in a statement it was acquiring the US company’s Nature’s Bounty, Solgar, Osteo Bi-Flex and Puritan’s Pride.

The “high-growth” brands will help create “a global leader in vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements”, Nestle said in announcing the deal with Bountiful’s owner KKR.

Nestle is also buying the company’s US private label business, but the transactions does not include sports and active nutrition brands and Bountiful’s Canadian business.