Personalised nutrition trend will push growth at a CAGR of 6.5% from an estimated total value of $93bn in 2015 to $127bn in 2020.
Personalisation is about consumers ‘taking back control” They want to feel more empowered and confident to create their own healthy eating patterns. It goes together with the growing awareness that diet is a personal matter—and it’s another stage in the long slow death of “one size fits all” dietary recommendations.
Many consumers are now buying into personalised services such as wearable fitness accessories and gadgets that provide dietary and fitness guidelines based on weight, sleeping pattern and activity. A small but growing number of consumers are also looking for more in-depth services, such as genetic profile or metabolism risk.
Personalised nutrition services also include tests for bio-markers for issues and key trends such as inflammation. This is the next “gluten-free” style issue affecting consumers. Like gluten free, the most important drivers for personalised nutrition is consumer belief. With inflammation, it is fueled by multiple benefit platforms and early signs of its potential are connected to the intense growth in consumer interest reflected already in surging sales of supplements of the original anti-inflammatory – turmeric.
Turmeric is a trend and a health halo ingredient that acts as a gateway for consumers to open the idea of inflammation. In Australia, turmeric is already being included in lattes and foods to increase its consumer appeal and match current supplement trends.
Personalized nutrition offers manufacturers the chance to develop an ongoing relationship with consumers rather than a single transactional approach. This benefit both the suppliers, who can build a base of loyal customers, and consumers, who gain a personalized and dedicated service.
However, a traditional business model will not allow for a simple adjustment. Personalised nutrition concepts need to integrate different elements such as personal coaching principles and new technological tools for dietary coaching as well as supplying a custom-selected range of supplements. This kind of coaching and professional advice can greatly improve the populations’ perception of food and its role in a healthy lifestyle.
The work demonstrated that personalised nutrition is a complex but promising concept because the essential goal is to achieve lasting improvements in dietary behaviour and health. It, therefore, has the potential to relieve the current pressure on healthcare budgets and bring significant benefits to society.