This year’s Personalized Nutrition Innovation Summit in San Francisco, CA brought together approximately 100 industry professionals. Attendees explored how to navigate the growing field by unpacking the current business landscape, science, technical tools, partnerships and barriers to implementation.
Here are a few topline observations from the Summit:
Please note: the key themes and takeaways noted below were focus points of discussion/presentations; they do not necessarily reflect FoodMinds’ point of view.
Behavior change is top of mind. While personalization has piqued the interest of today’s consumer, speakers echoed similar challenges for getting consumers to change behavior and adopt new habits. Changing habits is hard – it’s always been. But, the age-old question remains: how can the science of behavior change be used to implement tailored health advice?
Integration, integration, integration. We’ve seen how the integration of household appliances and digital devices we use regularly have simplified our day-to-day. From doctors and dietitians to grocery lists and wearable devices, personalized nutrition inputs can plug into several dimensions of everyday life. But, how can integration be a more seamless process and help connect the digital dots?
Uncertainty in the regulatory landscape. Frequently referred to as the “wild west” throughout the Summit, companies are considering the global regulatory landscape as they think about growth and scale. The next few years are sure to bring more regulations in this space. Stakeholders will need to keep current on this landscape and have a voice in the public process in order to stay relevant.
Innovative partnerships solve for challenges. As stakeholder interest in personalized nutrition grows and more entities enter the space, innovative and creative partnerships may be the ticket to creating impact. Companies can work together to develop innovative partnerships that lead to enhanced user experiences, tangible results and better business outcomes.
Biohacking is a thing. And, is a new way for brands to engage with the end user. Biohacking is an amorphous term that can be broadly defined as do-it-yourself experimental research undertaken with a desire to feel better. Simple lifestyle changes or modifications like meditation can be considered a basic form of biohacking but it can also be taken to seemingly dangerous extremes. This new lifestyle is taking a n=1 to a whole new level – many biohackers are quantifying every aspect of themselves and often sharing the data publicly. Learn more about this movement in this recent article.
Connect with us at [email protected] to discuss how we can help your brand or organization engage with purpose and navigate the personalized wellness space.
Katie Pawelczyk, MS, RD is an account executive at FoodMinds, a division of Padilla. She’s based in San Francisco.
Ashley Desrosiers, MS, RD is a Boston-based vice president who leads the Personalized Wellness team at FoodMinds, a division of Padilla