SWITZERLAND: Nestlé has created a new unit to focus on healthcare nutrition and is investing hundreds of millions of Swiss francs to expand the business over the coming decade. The Nestlé Health Science unit and Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences have been set up to develop healthy products to help alleviate conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease.

The Nestlé Health Science unit will be headed up by ex-Zone Americas head Luis Cantarell. Nestlé first entered the healthcare nutrition sector in 1986 and over the past three years has made a number of strategic acquisitions in the area, including Novartis Medical Nutrition and Vitaflo.

GREECE: Unilever has bought Greek dairy EVGA's ice cream brands, including Scandal, Variete and Karabola, for an undisclosed amount, subject to regulatory approval. As part of the deal, it has also acquired their distribution network, but EVGA will retain its production and warehousing facilities and manufacture EVGA and some Unilever ice cream branded products for the Greek market and export. EVGA's ice cream turnover in 2009 was £28m, and as part of the agreement 65 of its employees will transfer to Unilever.

HAWAII: Livingstone Partners has secured development capital funding to help Hawaiian-soft drinks company Waialua Soda Works expand sales and distribution in the US. It has lined up Hawaiian-based investor Tradewind Capital Group to provide capital and expertise to help the premium soft drinks company build its brand in specialty and mainstream grocery in the United States.

Waialua recently secured listings with Whole Foods Market in Southern California, Nevada and Arizona and plans to saturate the Hawaiian market before targeting more of the US West Coast.

US: Campbell Soup CEO Douglas Conant is stepping down on 31 July 2011 after a decade in the role. Denise Morrison, president of the North American soup, sauces and drinks unit, has been appointed executive vice president, chief operating officer and company director from 1 October. Sean Connolly, who has served as president of Campbell USA since 2008, will succeed Morrison.

"Under this team, we will have seamless continuity in the execution of our fiscal 2011 business plans and in our strategic planning during this transition period," said Conant.

RUSSIA: Russian grocery retailer X5 Retail Group has fully acquired the Ostrov-Invest retail chain for about £24m including debt. Established in 1995, Ostrov has 16 stores in and around Moscow. The deal comes after the group received approval for the transaction from the Russian competition regulator earlier this month. X5 is planning to convert half the Ostrov stores into supermarkets and the restto discounters.