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Gen Z and Gen Alpha may be the next key target consumers for personalized nutrition products. See why and learn how custom premix solutions can fast-track the development of customized products like “brain water” for kids.
Personalized nutrition is a tailored approach to diet that accounts for an individual’s specific nutrient needs. A number of advances in technology, ranging from DNA sequencing to microbiome analysis, have brought personalized nutrition to a new level—far beyond the early questionnaire-based diet recommendations.
This is why many brands have switched to using the term “precision nutrition” in their product positioning. This newer term is expected to alleviate consumer confusion and express the upgrade in nutritional support available to consumers today.
A custom premix solution is the path to creating foods and beverages that can meet personalized consumer health and wellness needs. For example, a company might focus on just a few base products—or only one, such as a ready-to-mix beverage—and yet offer near-infinite variations in nutrient content simply by using different nutrient premixes.
Once a consumer’s specific needs are identified, a custom premix can be developed with the appropriate vitamins, minerals, and other bioactives, which can then be added to the product at precisely the right dose. A custom premix solution could contain a few nutrients or as many as twenty ingredients, for example, and include protein, sweetener, and even flavor.
Download our Custom Nutrient Premix Solution eGuide today!
Mintel’s latest research points to Gen Z and Gen Alpha as the ideal consumers for personalized nutrition products, for several key reasons:
Gen Z’s familiarity and appreciation for personalization options stem from growing up with their own smartphones, apps, and social media accounts that have allowed them to customize sounds, visuals, and content to a degree not available to prior generations.
This generation also expresses an interest in personalized food and beverage and is willing to pay more for it.1 To tap into the Gen Z market, personalized nutrition companies can connect through Gen Z’s health and wellness priorities. For example, the top health concern among Chinese 18–24-year-olds (at 43%) is poor eyesight.2 In the US, companies might lead with an emphasis on nutritional support for mood and mental wellness.
Gen Alpha and Gen Z kids make up another target consumer segment for personalized nutrition products—in this case, due to their parents’ strong interest in products that provide high-priority health benefits. Mintel reports a specific opportunity here in hydration products with added benefits, such as ingredients for cognitive support.
“Brain water” for kids tackles parents’ concerns about their kids not drinking enough water (a surprisingly widespread problem linked to headaches, irritability, and reduced cognitive function) and having the proper nutrients to support the developing brain, such as magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, and DHA. In China, 30% of parents prefer to buy beverages with DHA/EPA and 36% would be interested in buying a beverage for their 4–12-year-old if it contained B vitamins.3
Whether your company is looking into developing personalized nutrition products for children, seniors, or anyone in between, our custom premix solutions can get you there fast. We offer the high quality nutrients your consumers need to support their optimum health and wellness, pre-blended for your product.
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1–2. Mintel, Nutrition Watch: Personalisation, August 2023.
3. Mintel, Brain Water Can Help Children Stay Sharp, April 2023.
