Nudging Ingredient brands into Personalised nutrition
Personalised nutrition has risen to become one of the hottest topics and consumer trends. Driven by increasing use of affordable technology, consumer interest in health and wellness and media coverage, this trend is not about to end soon. However, recent company closures, mergers and acquisitions demonstrate the state of fl ux the industry is in after a few years of rapid growth. Despite this, it is clear from interviews with experts and business owners that a few common themes are emerging which are covered in this article.
The definition of Personalised nutrition
Whilst there is no agreed scientific definition of personalised nutrition per se, there is a general agreement that it is an emerging science, and not quite mainstream as yet, owing to a lack of understanding what personalised nutrition entails.
With this in mind, and the ample of unknowns, it is crucial for all stakeholders in the industry to be transparent about the state of play in the science in order to manage consumer expectations and build trust. The common understanding with a move to self-care and the inclusion of technology in health, is that personalised nutrition is about disease prevention and health optimization depending on the consumer interest and drive.
Experts agree that behaviour change is a key determinant for a successful personalised approach which can demonstrate clear health outcomes. However, behaviour change takes notoriously long to achieve, and therefore products and solutions need to have this long commitment built in, as well as adequately resourced as consumers are unlikely to pay out-of pocket for these services. Whilst modern food behaviour and food choices may be driven largely by social media, personalisation of nutrition and lifestyle recommendations should be fi rstly driven by health or personal goals such as weight loss or improving heart health.
Levels of Personalised nutrition advice
Personalisation at the simplest level can based on age and gender, however more accurate personalisation should include other data points such as environment, lifestyle, preferences, beliefs and contextual data. The most technical level will require biological data such as DNA, blood or the microbiome.
Experts agree that a single data point is unlikely to be suffi cient to provide any meaningful information that goes beyond population based healthy guidelines. This continuous fl ow of data can be used and mined through machine learning or artifi cial intelligence (AI) to provide personalised recommendations and advice which is relevant, provided at the right time in the right format. The feedback loop to enable lasting behaviour change is therefore critical.
The Importance of data
The importance of data in a personalised approach is clear, yet getting the balance right between empowering the consumer and data overwhelm can be diffi cult, especially at a time when the scientifi c body of evidence is only emerging. Providers of personalised nutrition solutions should ensure that these are developed close, or in combination with consumers to ensure they are relevant and meet their expectations or needs. Maintaining data privacy is unequivocally the most crucial element to building trust, but whether consumers truly understand what they are consenting to when subscribing to a service is not entirely clear. Data has become the new liability. Only future regulation and clear guidelines in terms of best practice and transparency will pave the way for an industry that is minimally regulated.
Personalised nutrition for Food and Ingredient brands
In terms of food ingredients and botanicals as part of a personalised nutrition approach, further research is needed to demonstrate effi cacy for specifi c target groups and phenotypes, we are just not there yet. However, new trends in conducting remote clinical trials from recruitment of participants to intervention present a new and faster way to build the evidence for a personalised n=1 approach.
Experts agree on the potential for understanding how the microbiome can be modulated and manipulated into one that is healthier is undeniable. Excitement and consumer expectations are high, and yet scientifi c research is only at the beginning of validating the role of the microbiome in health. It is clear that consumers understand the link between the microbiome and good health, however companies have a responsibility to be transparent and honest about the state of the science and support the consumption of products that have to date been shown to improve microbiome diversity such as wholegrain, fi bers, probiotics, polyphenols and fermented foods.
The role of healthcare practitioners
We should also not fail to ignore the roles of healthcare professionals in a personalised nutrition approach as trusted change agents, counsellors and guides at all levels of personalisation. Furthermore, personalised nutrition is currently considered a niche area for the worried well. A concerted effort between industry, public health, regulation and academia is needed moving forward, to ensure that personalised nutrition is inclusive, reduces health inequality, unbiased and benefi ts all. With an increasing shift towards plant-based diet for sustainability, food, nutrition and health have become intertwined topics that are opening up new opportunities and avenues for companies of all sizes to impact and improve population health.
New business models
New business models including open innovation and private-public partnerships are needed to bring personalised nutrition into the mainstream, that is affordable, accessible and equitable. In order to survive in a relatively nascent industry, the key message is clear: stay focused on one target issue, validate your approach, don’t try to do it all and stay close to the consumer.
This article was featured in AgroFood Industry Hi Tech December 2019
Qina is the hub for data and insights in Personalised nutrition. Qina offers the world´s first comprehensive and curated database of Personalised nutrition companies in the industry. Qina has a library of expert content and offers consultancy services for innovation projects.
Qina is the hub for data and insights in Personalised nutrition. Qina offers the world´s first comprehensive and curated database of Personalised nutrition companies in the industry. Qina has a library of expert content and offers consultancy services for innovation projects.