Sometimes, all it takes is 30 minutes to learn the ins and outs of new technologies and trends that are transforming the food and beverage industry. In this series, we’ll dig into a food innovation topic and link you to content and resources so you can become a in 30 minutes (or less!).
This week, we’re looking at food as medicine. Beyond its essential role in providing macronutrients, food can be a powerful tool in the prevention and treatment of human diseases and common health ailments. The concept of food as medicine is growing in popularity with consumers, leading innovators to develop software, ingredients, and products that aim to improve health and wellness.
The basics on what nutrigenomics is and how it works.
Food is considered functional if it has benefits for human health beyond nutrition, for example it improves health or reduces the risk of disease.
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning could offer consumers better control over their nutritional health.
Level’s biowearable metabolic sensor constantly monitors glucose levels to create customized health and nutrition programs.
In 2019 Nestle’s Health Science division acquired Persona, a company offering customized vitamins and supplements, and launched personalized vitamin packs through its Puritan’s Pride brand in June 2022.
Nutrigenomix – Nutrigenomix Inc. is based in Toronto, ON but is available in more than 40 countries. It provides DNA-based, customized nutrition recommendations for health and wellness, athletic performance and fertility, and includes plant-based nutrition.
Medcan – Toronto’s Medcan is an integrated health and wellness company that uses up to 15 diagnostic tests covering cardiovascular health, cognition, hearing, vision, nutrition and fitness, to create a customized action plan to improve a customer’s lifestyle through food, exercise and supplements.
@SPINSllc – (Twitter) SPINS, a wellness-focused data technology company based in Chicago, acquired Pinto, a product intelligence platform, in 2022. Pinto has a database of food, grocery and consumer products and creates personalized inventories for specific dietary needs.
GUTXY – (LinkedIn) Denmark-based GUTXY tests customers’ gut microbiome to create a personal wellness plan.
Atlas Biomed – (Facebook) Atlas Biomed Group is a London, UK-based company that uses both DNA and gut microbiome to establish a nutrition plan, and establish carrier status for hereditary conditions and risks for injuries due to sports.
LSee – (YouTube) France’s LSee uses a metabolic tracker to create nutrition recommendations based on blood biomarkers.
If you’ve got more than 30 minutes, these are for you:
The Doctor's Kitchen is a podcast about food, medicine, lifestyle and improving your health.