Personalized Nutrition, Inflammation Will Be Key in 2017, Says New Nutrition Business

Photo © iStockphoto.com/Willie B. Thomas

As the food and beverage industry sets its sights on 2017, personalized nutrition is poised to provide a key growth opportunity for consumers who are increasingly looking for individually tailored diets. That’s according to New Nutrition Business and its recently released report, 10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition, and Health 2017, which also predicts inflammation, digestive health, plant-based foods, and more will play a significant role in the year to come.

The market analyst suggests that with food giant Campbell’s Soup Co. recently investing $32 million in Habit, a personalized nutrition startup company, the trend toward personalization has reached a “tipping point.”

“Personalization is about consumers taking back control,” explains Julian Mellentin, director of New Nutrition Business and author of the new report, in a press announcement. “They want to feel more empowered and confident to create their own healthy eating patterns. It goes hand-in-hand with 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.”

But just like personalized nutrition itself, the ways in which firms can capitalize on this need for customized diets may come in many forms. For instance, some consumers are embracing wearable devices that help them decide on dietary guidelines based on factors liks sleep pattern, heart rate, daily activity, height, and/or weight. And a “smaller but growing number” of consumers are taking that a step further by investing in in-depth services like a genetic profile, or learning their metabolic and disease risks through DNA testing, according to New Nutrition Business. Mellentin says there are three essential ways the industry can tap into this trend.

“First, smart companies will create a portfolio of brands, made to meet the needs of different consumer diets and preferences,” Mellentin says. “Second, they will invest in a multi-platform approach, offering support and tailored dietary advice. This means partnering with entities providing advice on diet planning or with fitness gadgets. Finally, they should invest in e-commerce, as it has proven to be a main route to niche consumers.”

Inflammation

Another key trend to watch in 2017-what New Nutrition Business calls “the next gluten free”-is inflammation. Just as with gluten free before it, the analyst believes inflammation “taps into deeper wells of consumer concern than is immediately apparent” and is propelled by its benefits on multiple platforms, including the powerful interest in digestive health.

“Just like gluten free back in 2001, many people say inflammation faces several challenges: consumers don’t understand it, it doesn’t have strong scientific support, and you cannot immediately feel the benefit of anti-inflammatory foods,” Mellentin says. “In fact, all of these objections are rapidly being overcome.”

The power of inflammation as a growth opportunity can already be seen in the surging sales of the “flagship” anti-inflammatory ingredient turmeric, according to New Nutrition Business.

Sportification, Digestive Wellness, and More

Also in the list of top-10 trends for 2017 from New Nutrition Business is “sportification,” or the growing popularity of natural ingredients among sports consumers. While it has long been predicted the foods designed for elite athletes would go mainstream, this trend also speaks to the way more mainstream health and wellness priorities are spreading across to the sports world.

“’All natural’ foods are becoming more attractive in sport,” Mellentin says. “Regular food companies that are not sports oriented can drive success if they attach their product to the image of health and sport.”

Also included in the 10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition, and Health 2017 are the trends “digestive wellness 2.0,” “plant-based,” “protein, “up with fat, down with sugar,” “good carbs, bad carbs,” and more. For more information on New Nutrition Business’s new report, visit www.new-nutrition.com.

Read more:

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Mintel Predicts Top 2017 Food and Drink Trends

Clean Label and Plant Ingredients Are Top Trends for 2017, Says Innova Market Insights

Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com