The deep bench of in-house experts at FoodMinds helps clients navigate the continuously evolving food and nutrition ecosystem. Our passionate team of nutrition pros and policy wonks works across five key solution areas to produce meaningful results for our clients. These five pillars reflect our collective expertise in healthy, sustainable food systems; global food and nutrition affairs; stakeholder and influencer engagement; nutrition science communications; and precision nutrition.

We asked each pillar lead about the nutrition trends, challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the coming years for food and nutrition industry leaders.

Here’s what they had to say:

All Roads Point to Health Equity

Laurie’s Perspective

“Whether discussing research knowledge and gaps, dietary guidance, or nutrition policies and programs, much of the recent public health dialogue has been underpinned by the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. Health inequities came into sharp relief during the global pandemic, and the world of nutrition affairs is has decidedly mobilized to address the issue. Nutrition solutions most likely to gain traction are those that support access, affordability and cultural relevance and inclusion.”

– Laurie Hainley, Director

 

Our Global Food and Nutrition Affairs pillar integrates food policy, science and public health, enabling insights into the key drivers, players and interrelationships that are shaping the future of food regulations and dietary guidance around the world.

Nutrition and Sustainability Are Increasingly Intertwined

Lauren’s Perspective

“The past few years have shown us that healthy, sustainable food systems is more than a trend – it’s an evolution of how we talk about and engage with food. We’ve been doing some really cool work with clients in food waste reduction, and I’m excited to see many new consumer product innovations and farm technologies coming to market. We also know food system equity and sustainable dietary guidance will be hot topics to watch, with the actioning of commitments stemming from the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, and the progression of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines and EAT-Lancet 2.0.”

– Lauren Hoffman, Senior Director, Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems Lead

FoodMinds’ unique Healthy, Sustainable Food Systems pillar harnesses our agency’s top-ranked expertise in food, nutrition, technology, and agriculture to help clients navigate today’s dynamic environment, connect with stakeholders throughout the food supply chain and policy ecosystems and tell their sustainability stories.

Nutrition Science is the Ultimate “Reason to Believe” 

Allison’s Perspective

“Brand trust and transparency have never been more important. The key opportunity for today’s leaders in the food and beverage industry is to not only share their data and evidence-based proof points, but to do so in a way that cuts through the noise, enhances their thought leadership profile and compels real change in consumer beliefs and behaviors. That requires connecting science and storytelling strategies from the very beginning, rather than approaching communications as an after-thought. I hope we’ll continue to see a rise in the socialization of science to make research more meaningful and accessible to the everyday consumer, including leveraging a broader variety of platforms, exploring more creative formats and working with more inclusive and representative partners.”

– Allison Mikita, Senior Vice President, Group Lead & Director, Global ExpertBench™, Global Scientific Affairs & Communications Lead

Influencer Relationships are Evolving

Chelsea’s Perspective

“Credentialed nutrition influencers and stakeholders are food-loving innovators, critical thinkers and change makers who possess a strong desire to positively impact our ever-evolving health and nutrition landscape. Market research shows that 92% of Americans trust influencers more than brands or a celeb endorsement and nearly half of consumers depend on influencer recommendations when it comes to deciding what to buy, so building relationships with these experts is essential for companies, commodities and brands. Between newsletter and social media subscription models, creator desire for longer format and greater content control and the pending next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the influencer and stakeholder space is primed for shifts and ripe with opportunity this year. More importantly, we can expect these groups to begin to expand and explore beyond “traditional” platforms to disseminate, communicate and educate.”

– Chelsea Elkin, Senior Director, Stakeholder & Influencer 2.0 Lead

FoodMinds’ Stakeholder & Influencer 2.0 pillar reflects our agency’s unparalleled expertise in forging impactful relationships in today’s most relevant and emerging categories, ensuring our clients’ strategic engagement programs drive meaningful advocacy.

We Can’t Spell Nutrition without “You”

Andrea’s Perspective

“Today’s technology and research infrastructure are rapidly accelerating innovation in Food is Medicine and precision nutrition, making this one of the most important areas for food sector players to be plugged into.  Stemming from the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, we are seeing the Food is Medicine and precision nutrition movements gain momentum in the private sector while also making their mark on national research agendas. Though still nascent, this field holds promise to revolutionize the way we think about and measure the impact of nutrition interventions.”

– Andrea Carrothers, Senior Vice President, Group Lead

The team at FoodMinds is keeping its finger on the pulse of all things Food is Medicine and precision nutrition. Our strategic insights combine a deep understanding of nutrition science, culturally relevant eating patterns, and health technology to help clients effectively navigate these dynamic and newly emerging approaches to tailored nutrition.