Personalized nutrition is becoming increasingly accepted by consumers, aided by the availability of technology to track our daily lifestyles. After all, in the information age, it seems natural that consumers would want to know more about the product they value most: themselves.
To some, the rise of the personalized nutrition revolution may seem like modern-day navel gazing, another corollary of social media influencer culture.
But other companies, including many retailers, are eager to tout the potential impact of new trends on the health of consumers and society as a whole.
The EIT Food and Consumer Observatory has published a new report that aims to better understand how consumers perceive this issue.
report, Personalized Nutrition: Explore categories of Personalized Nutrition (PN) servicesConsumer perceptions, including their awareness and understanding of personalized nutrition, how they use personal nutrition to achieve their health goals, their preferences for how they receive information, and what tools are most helpful. We have collected data regarding.
What is personal nutrition?
Before proceeding, it is probably a good idea to give a definition of personal nutrition in the context of retail and modern consumerism.
It can be described as a product or service that collects specialized information about individuals based on scientific evidence and makes suggestions or recommendations based on the results.
EIT Food Consumer Observatory notes that there are many variations to this approach, and inputs can be lifestyle/behavioral (e.g., exercise, weight), phenotype (e.g., blood sample), or microbiome information (e.g., stool sample). It points out that it may be based on ).
“Personalized nutrition companies are providing consumers with tools that provide personalized data about their bodies and nutrition,” says Klaus Grunert, director of the EIT Food and Consumer Observatory. ESM. “This means consumers committed to personalized nutrition will be provided with tailored advice, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
“Personalized advice may take the form of a targeted eating plan based on setting personalized nutritional goals, or advice and remedies to help an individual manage a particular condition. there is.”
So far, so good. However, this can be difficult when an individual’s nutritional information is collected in the context of receiving a plan through an employer or health insurance company.
For health insurance companies, there may be concerns that the information collected in a personal nutrition plan could affect premiums or even whether the consumer will receive the plan. Similarly, some consumers may be concerned about their employer having access to the data contained in their personal nutrition plan. After all, what could be more personal than a person’s medical history?
customized approach
The EIT Food Consumer Observatory report shows that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to personalized nutrition.
According to the report, there are three main categories of personalized nutrition tools that consumers prefer. Some help consumers get their test results, some help consumers make lifestyle changes, and some are specific to specific health conditions.
This research shows that consumers want clear and quantifiable data. Some consumers who participated in this study had concerns about the use of the technology required to obtain the samples, while others doubted their ability to understand the results once they were measured. expressed.
Moreover, personalized nutrition is only possible through technological advances in the medical field, “so the two are already intertwined,” says Grunert. “Consumers committed to personalized nutrition typically need to be comfortable using apps.”
In addition, Grunert said that personalized nutrition tools are increasingly using AI support, which “could potentially improve the quality of advice and provide a better user interface, but there are challenges to consumer trust and “There are new challenges in terms of acceptance.”
personal information
One of the major barriers to personalized nutrition for consumers concerns data privacy.
Grunert said consumers should proceed with caution when sharing personal information, but the onus is on the companies and organizations that manage such services to build trust.
“Our research includes recommendations on how companies can build trust with consumers. Data privacy needs to be strictly and clearly regulated, and processes should Transparency will be key for companies to win over consumers.”
“Personalized nutrition approaches also vary widely in the type of personal information required. Medical and genetic information may be perceived as more privacy-invasive, but personalized nutrition This is a difficult balance that businesses need to manage.”
Similarly, others in the study felt more confident in having trained health professionals analyze their data in a more professional setting.
According to several respondents, if you want to discuss your personal health, obtaining test results yourself may be more “personal” but less “personalized” than going to your GP. yeah.
“Power and Agency”
The EIT Food Consumer Watchdog argues that for personal nutrition to present a strong business case, consumers need to be more willing to share their personal information.
The group says it requires trust that information will be handled securely and ethically, but it also argues that the results are worth the effort required.
“This tailored advice gives consumers the power and ownership to make informed and sound decisions,” says Grunert.
The observatory said personalized nutrition could be a “strong candidate” for nudging consumers to healthier diets in a way that generic, one-size-fits-all advice cannot. I think there is.
“The range and depth of information that personalized nutrition tools can provide is exciting, and where information is power, personalized nutrition puts consumers in a great position to live healthier lives.” ,” says Grunert.
