A nutritional supplement is a special nutritional drink that has been designed for people who are having difficult eating enough food or maintaining their body weight after illness or surgery.

Nutritional supplements are packed with energy, protein, vitamins and minerals to help provide all the nutrition a person can get from food. A nutritional supplement can act as a ‘top-up’ to ordinary food, providing all the nourishment needed when you are unwell, and not able to eat enough regular food.

Nutricia’s range of ONS do not contain ingredients that are forbidden in a Halal diet and some products have Halal certification. For further information please visit the Contact Us page.

ONS can be suitable for use in pregnancy. It is very important to have a good nutritional intake at this time, however, it is also important that an excessive intake of vitamin A should be avoided as it may cause harm to the unborn baby. Many of Nutricia’s ONS are designed to provide the complete range of micronutrients which includes vitamin A. The level of vitamin A present in Nutricia’s ONS is well within the upper limit suggested during pregnancy, however, intake of vitamin A from normal dietary foods should also be considered and intakes of vitamin A rich foods should be limited (e.g. liver). The decision to use ONS during pregnancy should be made by a dietitian or doctor.

Most ONS are based on cows’ milk protein and are therefore not suitable for patients with cows’ milk protein allergy. For further information about specific ingredients used in Nutricia’s products and their suitability for people with food allergies or intolerances please visit the contact us page.

Yes. All Nutricia’s ONS are gluten free and are suitable for patients with coeliac disease or who have gluten intolerance.

Many of the Nutricia range of ONS can be used for individuals with diabetes. Good nutritional intake is important for any patient and if a patient who has diabetes is at risk of malnutrition, nutrition support should be considered to ensure their nutritional requirements are being met. It is very important that patients with diabetes are provided with a regular intake of carbohydrate to control blood sugar and prevent low blood sugar levels. ONS should be sipped slowly over a period of approximately 20 minutes in order to avoid any rapid rise in blood glucose levels. Blood glucose levels should be monitored regularly and oral hypoglycaemic tablets/insulin modified accordingly. In terms of specific products that you may consider, Fortisip Bottle Neutral flavour is a good choice as it contains lower levels of sugar. The fibre present in Fortisip Compact Fibre may help control blood sugar levels. If a patient requires an ONS, advice should be sought from a dietitian, diabetes nurse or doctor as to the most appropriate ONS for that patient, the number they require, and how they should be taken.

A nutritional supplement is a special nutritional drink that has been designed for people who are having difficult eating enough food or maintaining their body weight after illness or surgery.

Nutritional supplements are packed with energy, protein, vitamins and minerals to help provide all the nutrition a person can get from food. A nutritional supplement can act as a ‘top-up’ to ordinary food, providing all the nourishment needed when you are unwell, and not able to eat enough regular food.

Many of the products in the Nutricia ONS range can be classified as clinically lactose free and are therefore suitable for patients with lactose intolerance. These include: Fortisip Bottle, Fortijuce, Calogen, Calogen Extra, Calogen Extra Shots, Nutricia preOp, FortiCare, Nutilis Powder, Nutilis Clear, Nutilis Fruit Stage 3, Super Soluble Maxijul, Polycal Powder and Polycal Liquid

Yes. Some people prefer to take their ONS by adding them to or mixing them with other foods and drinks, either as a change to sipping them or because they find them easier and more palatable to take this way. ONS can be used to fortify a variety of drinks, savoury and sweet foods, for example, hot chocolate, macaroni cheese and muffins. Ideas and tips on incorporating ONS into foods and drinks can be found in the Resource Centre-patient resources.