Applied Nutrition is significantly expanding its product range to cater to customers using weight loss drugs, following a substantial increase in demand over the past year.

The health and wellness brand said it has identified a key business opportunity stemming from the sharp rise in Britons using GLP-1 treatments, such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.

The London-listed company, which already offers GLP-1-friendly high-protein ready meals launched in late 2025, confirmed that new products specifically designed for this market will be introduced later this year.

“The GLP-1 user is a growing customer. We see this as a consumer at the start of their weight loss journey who is now looking at how the medication can help them,” Thomas Ryder, founder and chief executive of the Liverpool-based firm, said.

“There is an opportunity, as those customers often need supplements and need smaller portions. I think this is a catalyst for the health and wellness space if we have that consumer in mind.

“We do have a number of products we will bring to market in this area because we do see that area growing.”

At least 1.6 million Britons have used weight loss jabs in the past year, according to research by University College London.

Applied Nutrition has reported strong growth, driven by targeting new customer opportunities and diversifying its sales channels, including expansion into UK retail stores.

In March, the company announced robust financial results, with pre-tax profits soaring by 77.1% to £20.9 million for the six months ending 31 January, compared to the previous year.

Sales also saw a significant uplift, rising by 56.5 per cent to £74.5 million over the same half-year period.

However, the firm cautioned that sales volumes in the Middle East are expected to be affected by the ongoing conflict in the region.

Applied Nutrition said it still expects to meet revenue targets for the year of around £140 million.

The company added: “Importantly, we have managed similar disruption in the past, supported by the agility of our operations.

“In this instance, we are working closely with customers to adapt our routes into the region and logistics arrangements to safeguard continued supply to those customers.”

Greggs is launching a chicken version of its customer favourite sausage and vegan rolls in a permanent addition to its menu.

The Chicken Roll – described by the high street baker as “seasoned chicken wrapped in layers of crisp, golden, glazed puff pastry” contains 305 calories and will cost £1.35 when it goes on sale on Thursday.

It follows the Sausage Roll and the pork free Vegan Roll.

To celebrate the final launch of the “trilogy”, Greggs is allowing customers the chance to be among the first to taste the new roll with a 20-minute slot between 3.30pm and 9pm on Wednesday (April 8) at a pop-up location at 15 Bateman Street, in London’s Soho.

Places will be given on a first-come first-served basis but, in a nod to the trilogy theme, guests must arrive as part of a trio of friends or family.

Visitors will be able to pair their three complimentary rolls with a free chicken-themed cocktail or mocktail.

A Greggs spokeswoman said: “They say the best things come in threes, and our iconic roll trilogy is no exception.

“We can’t wait for our customers to experience the Chicken Roll as the ultimate headline act of our flaky franchise.”

Over the past year, Greggs has come under pressure from cautious shoppers affected by the rising cost of living, higher tax and labour costs, and the growing use of weight-loss treatments.

Last month, the Newcastle-based firm reported that statutory pre-tax profits fell by 17.9% to £167.4 million for the year to December 27, compared with a year earlier.

It also told shareholders that total sales grew by 6.8% to £2.15 billion over the year, with like-for-like growth buoyed by its continued store opening programme.

Greggs said it had 121 net store openings in 2025, expanding its shop estate to 2,739 locations by the end of the year.

It is targeting around 120 further openings this year as it highlighted ambitions to grow to “significantly more than 3,000 UK shops over longer term”.

New Delhi: In a major change in policy, govt has increased the time allowed for construction of 6-10 km-long bridges across rivers such as Ganga and Brahmaputra to six years and for 2.5-6 km-long bridges on Mahanadi and Godavari to five years. The timelines have been revised from the current 24-30 months.Similarly, the construction period has been fixed at two years for national highway projects costing up to Rs 500 crore, 30 months for Rs 500-1,500 crore projects, and three years for works costing over Rs 1,500 crore.The change in the ‘normative construction period’ has been made after a gap of 13 years, learning from past experience of how the average time taken for completion of NH projects has been over four years against the standard timeline of 2.5-3 years. The revised timeline for construction will be applicable for all NH projects to be bid out from May 6.In a circular, the road transport ministry said present guidelines — issued in 2013 — are derived from a legacy linear model that does not explicitly account for voluminous earthwork, leading to unrealistic construction period and resulting in additional cost and risk.“Therefore, a need was felt to revise the existing guidelines based on scientific analysis, understanding of completed projects, and prescribe a realistic construction period for civil works at DPR and bid invitation stage,” the ministry said. It added that the new norm will improve predictability in completion of projects, reduce disputes, enhance value and quality of NHs, for realistic and bankable bids, better quality outcomes and improved investor confidence.An additional six months time has been provisioned in the new norms for critical projects which involve multiple flyovers, tunnels or elevated structures. Similarly, an addition of 12 months has been provisioned for projects that involve cutting and slope stabilisation in hilly states.