Personalized nutrition has been hailed as the future of effective nutrition. But how do consumers really feel about it? And is it truly the future of healthy eating?

What is personalized nutrition?

Personalized nutrition has gained significant attention in recent years and has already proven to be highly profitable for companies offering it as a service. In fact, the business intelligence platform, Statista, estimated the global personalized nutrition market to be valued at an estimated $8.2 billion USD in 2020 and expects this figure to double by 2025.

But how do consumers really feel about personalized nutrition? And is this a trend that will continue to grow or fade into obscurity like so many health trends before it?

Personalized nutrition, sometimes called precision nutrition, is individualized dietary advice or nutrition guidance based on a combination of an individual's genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.

Factors dictating nutritional advice include dietary habits, health status, phenotype, gut microbiome, and genotype. Personalized nutrition focuses on promoting health.

What are the benefits of personalized nutrition?

The main benefit of personalized nutrition is that, yes, you guessed it, it's personalized. This means that a person is advised on what to eat based on specific dietary requirements and taking into account any pre-existing health conditions and allergies.

"The key benefit of personalized nutrition is that it is unique to everyone," said Klaus Grunert, Director of the Consumer Observatory, to FoodNavigator. "We have the technology and innovation available to provide consumers with specific advice about their health, based on the foods they consume. Instead of offering consumers a one-size-fits-all approach to health advice, personalized nutrition takes into account individual data to provide targeted advice that is optimal for them and their health."

It is also believed that personalized nutrition meets consumers' need to better understand their own health and dietary requirements.

"Personalized nutrition is different for everyone," explains Grunert. "If consumers feel that current available advice is not suitable for them and their needs, personalized nutrition could be a good and necessary solution. But some people may already know how to eat healthily without such advice."

What are the criticisms of personalized nutrition?

Despite the very clear benefits of personalized nutrition, it has raised some concerns among consumers. One of the most significant of these concerns is related to data protection.

A recent report published by the EIT Food Consumer Observatory found that "most consumers are concerned about how much data is being collected, who will have access to it, and that it is kept securely."

The report, co-funded by the European Union, goes on to advise the industry that "data privacy must be regulated very strictly and clearly, and consumers must be assured that this is happening."

Another concern regarding personalized nutrition is cost. Large one-time payments, followed by ongoing subscription costs, have led many to believe that personalized nutrition is only accessible to wealthy consumers. However, it is expected to change over time.

"One of the barriers to consumer adoption of personalized nutrition tools is indeed the perceived price," says Grunert.

"A lot of participants in the Consumer Observatory study felt that the tools were inaccessible, but as prices decrease and innovation develops, companies will need to make efforts to change this narrative of economic inaccessibility, by being more transparent with pricing and outcomes upfront."

But until the cost of personalized nutrition decreases and there is no guarantee that it will, it will continue to be inaccessible to low-income consumers. This is a particular issue, as high-income consumers are likely to already have a better diet compared to low-income consumers and, therefore, are less likely to require additional nutritional assistance.

According to the National Library of Medicine, "low income is associated with poor dietary intake. Compared to those with higher incomes, individuals with lower incomes consume fewer fruits and vegetables, more sugar-sweetened beverages, and have overall poorer diet quality."

The Consumer Observatory report also found that consumers are wary that personalized nutrition could just be a "marketing gimmick."

"Consumers need to believe that nutritional science supports them and that this is not a trick that will be discredited," the report concluded.

The future of personalized nutrition

Despite concerns surrounding personalized nutrition, it is a sector expected to grow in the coming years.

"Brands should expect more development in terms of personalization," says Rick Miller, Associate Director of Food and Beverages for Specialized Nutrition at Mintel. He goes on to explain that, "technology is the engine of future innovation and addresses emerging health issues."

However, recent job cuts at the personalized nutrition brand, Zoe, could be a sign that the personalized nutrition trend is stagnating.

"After experiencing massive growth in 2023 and inflated growth forecasts, the team was over-extended, and costs need to be reduced," said Jonathan Wolf, co-founder and CEO of Zoe, while discussing layoffs on his LinkedIn page.

"It is clear that there is a general understanding among consumers of the potential of personalized nutrition to improve their health," explains Grunert. "But without industry progress in communication, transparency, or education, as consumers mentioned in the Consumer Observatory study, the sector may be at a crossroads for progress.

For personalized nutrition to be incorporated into daily diets, consumers are not only looking for solutions, but also for supportive information and reassurance that accompanies them." (Photo: Dreamstime)