Unilever is to invest up to £21m developing a new range of food and drink slimming aids based on extracts taken from a plant grown in South Africa.
The company has signed an agreement with botanical firm Phytopharm to license its hoodia gordonii extract, a hunger suppressant which is taken from a rare cactus.
Unilever and Phytopharm will collaborate on a five-stage research and development programme of safety and efficacy studies with a view to bringing products to the market over the next few years.
