Swiss Foundation for Nutrition and Health

What Swiss Foundation for Nutrition and Health does

The Swiss Foundation for Nutrition and Health (Fondation Suisse de Nutrition et Santé, SNHf) is an independent, non-profit foundation headquartered in Épalinges, Switzerland, near Lausanne in the Biopôle area. Founded in 1931 as the Swiss Vitamin Institute (Institut Suisse des Vitamines, SVI) and renamed in 2021 following its 90th anniversary, it operates an ISO/IEC 17025:2018 accredited laboratory that delivers vitamin and nutrient analysis using HPLC, microbiological assays, ELISA, and chemical analysis on biological and food matrices. Its commercial portfolio comprises three lines: medical laboratory analysis (vitamin status testing in serum/plasma, recognized by Swiss insurance companies and priced via the Swiss tax points system), B2B nutrient analysis and R&D consulting for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic companies, and the SVI quality seal certification program for vitamin and supplement brands, awarded annually on renewal. The foundation also participates in European research collaborations, including the EU Horizon 2020 NUTRISHIELD consortium and the national menuCH-Kids study with Unisanté, and has won a Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office tender to measure vitamins in approximately 500 Swiss foodstuffs.

The foundation serves four primary customer segments: medical healthcare providers requiring accredited vitamin status diagnostics, food and beverage manufacturers seeking nutrient verification and certification, cosmetic companies needing bio-active compound analysis, and public health institutions (government agencies, research institutions) commissioning national nutritional studies. Pricing is unit-based for medical analyses under the Swiss tax points framework and quote-based for B2B services and certification. Distribution is primarily direct: clients engage via website contact forms or direct outreach, and samples are processed at the single Épalinges laboratory. Revenue is supplemented by EU research grant participation (e.g., Horizon 2020 grant agreement no. 818110). The organization is governed as an independent foundation with no parent company, shareholders, or external investors.

Name

Swiss Foundation for Nutrition and Health

Legal name

Fondation Suisse de Nutrition et Santé

Website

https://nutritionhealthfoundation.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Swiss Foundation for Nutrition and Health (SNHf) is an independent, non-profit foundation operating an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory in Épalinges, Switzerland, providing accredited vitamin and nutrient analysis, B2B consulting, and the SVI quality seal certification for medical, food, cosmetic, and public health clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutritional Testing & Analysis Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJAKAH

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYBPAGAKAL

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPADAIAF

Nutrition & Population Health Integration (MCH Nutrition, Micronutrients)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Global Health & Population Programs

Keywords

• Vitamin analysis laboratory
• Nutrient testing services
• Product certification
• Biomarker measurement
• Food safety testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Epalinges

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Medical Laboratory Analysis Services: SNHf conducts vitamin and nutrient analysis tests for medical diagnostics. Healthcare providers and patients submit biological samples for analysis. Tests are recognized by insurance companies in Switzerland. Pricing is structured using Swiss tax points system (e.g., Vitamin A: 61.20 points, B1: 68.40 points, B12: 22.50 points).
2. Product Certification Program: SNHf offers the SVI (Swiss Vitamin Institute) quality seal for vitamin products. Companies apply for certification of their products' vitamin content. The seal is awarded for one year and renewed annually based on regular vitamin analyses. Evaluation, analysis, approval, and marketing phases constitute the certification process.
3. B2B R&D Consulting and Analysis Services: End-to-end innovation support for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic companies. Services include custom analysis development, nutritional profiling, biomarker measurement, and research partnerships. Full collaborative approach with industry partners from ideation to prototype validation.
4. European Research Project Funding: Participation in EU Horizon 2020 research programs such as the Nutrishield project (grant agreement no. 818110) which funds research activities related to nutrition and health analysis methods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Swiss Foundation for Nutrition and Health (formerly Swiss Vitamin Institute, founded 1931) is a non-profit foundation that operates an ISO/IEC 17025:2018-accredited laboratory delivering medical vitamin analysis services, B2B nutrient analysis and consulting for the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, an independent SVI Quality Seal certification programme, applied research and development services, and professional education/training in vitamin and micronutrient analysis.

Product overview

Swiss Foundation for Nutrition and Health (SNHf) is a not-for-profit, independent foundation that operates as a one-stop-shop laboratory offering end-to-end services from discovery to product qualification and certification. The portfolio consists of Medical Vitamin Analysis Services (ISO 17025 accredited laboratory testing of vitamins in biological samples), B2B Nutrient Analysis and Expert Consulting (analysis of nutrients, micronutrients, and bioactives in various products and matrices), the SVI Quality Label/Tested Seal Certification (independent product certification for brands), Research and Development Services (collaborative nutrition research), and Education/Training Services. The foundation evolved from the Swiss Vitamin Institute (SVI) founded in 1931 and expanded its scope in 2021 to cover all nutrients, micronutrients, and natural bioactives beyond vitamins.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Vitamin Analysis Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Analysis of nearly 500 food products for vitamin content in a single national study
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NUTRISHIELD ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018SNHf is a member of the NUTRISHIELD consortium, a project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research program (grant agreement no. 818110). The project aims to create a personalized nutrition platform for young people. SNHf's role focuses on studying vitamin status of human milk and the relationships between milk vitamin composition, maternal diet, microbiome, and newborn health. The platform analyzes nutrition and health biomarkers and uses ICT to provide personalized nutrition feedback.
• Unisanté (Prof. Murielle Bochud)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSNHf collaborates with Unisanté and its team led by Prof. Murielle Bochud on the menuCH-Kids national study. This study investigates the nutritional status of Swiss children and adolescents aged 6-17. SNHf is responsible for measuring nutritional status biomarkers from 800 participants as part of a multidisciplinary team of Swiss scientists and clinicians.
• Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO/BLV/OSAV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSNHf won a public tender from the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office to measure vitamins in nearly 500 foodstuffs sold in Switzerland. This led to research on vitamin D content in Lake Geneva fish species. Ongoing collaboration includes the menuCH-Kids national study.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SGS SA: SGS is the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification company with extensive food and nutrition testing capabilities. SNHf competes with SGS in providing independent analytical services and quality certifications to food and consumer product companies.
• Intertek Group: Intertek provides testing and quality assurance services across food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Its analytical laboratory services and product certification offerings overlap directly with SNHf's service portfolio.
• ALS Limited: ALS operates a global network of analytical testing laboratories serving food, pharmaceutical, environmental, and life sciences clients. Its food and pharmaceutical testing services are directly comparable to SNHf's nutrient analysis offerings.
• NSF International: NSF provides testing, auditing, and certification services for food, water, and consumer products, including nutrition and supplement-related testing and quality seals. Its product certification programs (e.g., NSF Certified for Sport) compete with SNHf's SVI quality seal in the supplement brand market.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Mérieux NutriSciences is a global food testing and certification network offering analytical services across microbiology, chemistry, and nutritional content. It directly competes with SNHf in nutrient analysis and product certification for food, beverage, and supplement brands.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is a leading international group of laboratories providing food, feed, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic testing services including vitamin and nutrient analysis. Its broad analytical testing portfolio and ISO-accredited network directly overlap with SNHf's B2B and medical testing offerings.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection, and certification firm with strong agri-food and consumer product verticals. It offers nutrient testing and product certification services comparable to SNHf's B2B analysis and SVI quality seal programs.

Regional players

• Agroscope: Agroscope is the Swiss federal research institute for agriculture, food, and the environment, conducting food composition analysis and nutritional research. As a Swiss public-sector peer, it overlaps with SNHf's FSVO tender work and national nutritional status studies.

Broad incumbents

• TÜV SÜD: TÜV SÜD is a broad testing, inspection, and certification company offering services across food, healthcare, and consumer products. Its wider portfolio and global reach overlap with SNHf's certification activities but at a much larger scale.
• Unilabs / Synlab: Unilabs and Synlab are large European medical diagnostics laboratory networks offering clinical and specialty testing. They overlap with SNHf's medical vitamin status analysis for healthcare providers, though at much greater scale and with broader test menus.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swissnutritionhealth-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Swiss Foundation for Nutrition and Health