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Head of emerging markets, innovation and science, Amway
In the past few decades, the practice of a healthier and holistic lifestyle expanded globally, and people started emphasising mindful eating habits along with nutrition quotient due to the ever increasing awareness of one’s overall wellbeing and immunity.
With heightened awareness around nutrition and wellness, the demand for health supplements and nutraceuticals increased due to their immunity and other supporting properties. Witnessing the growing demand, the nutrition industry started catching up at a faster pace creating its niche, driving nutritionists and scientists to research the evolving trends to come up with conventional yet sustainable solutions to cater to the new-age consumers’ needs.
On-the-go nutrition for new age consumers
The nutrition industry has started redefining the scope of the consumer and wellness market by making profound changes through innovative technology. The demand for supplements is no longer limited to the elderly and middle-aged, but millennials and Gen Z are today equally enthusiastic about adopting a healthier lifestyle by including regular exercise and dietary supplements in their everyday life. Going ‘back to local’ is another trend that is on the rise, as consumers, especially millennials, embrace traditional ingredients and products to maintain health and immunity. This has given the nutrition industry a chance to introduce on-the-go formats like gummies, munching bars, shakes, juices, and strips that are convenient and easy to consume, apart from offering an array of herbal products with native ingredients such as Tulsi, Ashwagandha, and Mulethi among others. Seizing the opportunity, the health and wellness brands started investing in innovation to develop products that are easy to understand and consume, address the nutritional gaps, and effortlessly fit into the day-to-day consumption of their consumers.
Transparency, traceability & trust through technology
With food safety becoming a top priority, consumers are now more inclined to choose products that can guarantee the highest quality and safety levels. A recent global survey revealed that 71% of consumers say traceability is very important and are willing to pay a premium for brands that provide it. By innovating through science, the industry has made product tracing far easier, giving consumers a peek into the supply chain — the path that begins with research and product formulation, moving on to growing or producing the raw ingredients, followed by processing and manufacturing, and finally packaging and on to the consumer. The manufacturing process today also has built-in sensors with data recording capabilities throughout the production line, which allows the consumer to trace the background of the product at the tip of his finger.
Technology like sensory inspection and process automation have made product manufacturing safer, more efficient, and reliable. With a blend of technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Quantum Computing, the nutraceutical industry can distil ‘Big Data’ and propose reliable and valid solutions based on an individual’s body needs. Using AI, the industry today can match millions of data points with multiple algorithms, enabling personalised nutrition-basis individual needs. And with proper implementation of technology like augmented holograms in package labelling is further aiding in preventing duplicity and counterfeit product, making the product even safer.
Today with IoT and a supported ecosystem, brands can encourage the masses by providing nutrition information that may alter food choices on the spot. Hand-held devices like phones can just tap into a bar code containing information on nutrients, making consumers more aware of what they should eat, bringing a fresh perspective to health and behavioural change towards food and lifestyle habits. With technological advancements and renewed emphasis on science and innovation, the nutrition industry is all set to deliver personalised solutions making them more engaging, accessible, safe, and easy to consume.
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Views expressed above are the author's own.
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