Elevate medical nutrition innovation – dive into a new way of doing business

Summary

• The right nutritional care can help those with special dietary needs and in specific life stages, to recover, take back their independence and live life to the fullest. For many people living with health conditions and senior adults, this demands nutritional support.
• However, to make any real impact to the care of people with medical nutrition needs, there is increasing pressure to address compliance to care plans through improved palatability and acceptance of these products.
• In this blog, we reveal how innovators can go beyond the premix, to overcome common formulation challenges associated with medical nutrition product development and launch more human-centric solutions.  

Anyone at any stage of their life might require medical nutrition support. This special nutritional care is often critical in supporting therapeutic outcomes and the quality of life of people living with health conditions and senior adults; providing essential nutrients to address nutritional shortfalls as a result of a disease, its treatment – or simply healthy longevity. Looking ahead, demand for these products is expected to rise, to meet the complex health needs of a growing aging population characterized by chronic disease.

With the need for these solutions on the up, it is more important than ever for brands to ensure the acceptance of medical nutrition products and encourage adherence to nutritional care plans, so that people can lead healthier lives when going through treatment or living in care facilities. To address this, manufacturers now have the opportunity to address palatability and tailored solutions even more optimally. Read on to explore opportunities how formulators can tackle potential  barriers – and more – to deliver solutions that put humans (and the planet) first. 

1. Prioritizing palatability 

Oral medical nutrition formulations – especially those high in protein – run the risk of having a strong or unpleasant taste, which can negatively impact adherence to these products. Or they may be too bitter, have undesirable off or aftertaste. It’s not just taste challenges that arise though. Texture and mouthfeel can have a significant impact on compliance too, particularly for individuals with swallowing difficulties, like the senior adults and pediatric patients.

To support the uptake of orally delivered medical nutrition products, achieving smooth and consistent textures is critical. Providing solutions in a variety of flavors and formats is also essential, as it helps to prevent taste fatigue and promotes better product acceptance. By incorporating sensory appeal and considering individual dietary preferences, medical nutrition products can become even more palatable and attractive, making them more accessible and enjoyable for those with medical nutrition needs.

In a dsm-firmenich survey investigating senior adults’ attitudes towards medical nutrition, we found that some perceived medical drinks to have an “overly artificial taste,” or they preferred to eat familiar foods they already enjoy, such as steak, pizza or potatoes.¹ The study underscores the very particular preferences of senior adults, emphasizing the importance of tailoring medical nutrition options to meet their unique needs.

As a flavor powerhouse, we have an infinite portfolio of flavors and sensorial experiences for medical nutrition innovators to tap into. Did you know that we have 100+ flavorists, 11 sensory facilities worldwide and a portfolio of 130,000 flavors, for instance? Our world-renowned taste experts can help to design bespoke taste profiles that captivate the senses and support consumer-centric medical nutrition innovation.

2. Don't compromise on compliance

Ensuring that individuals with health conditions and senior adults comply with nutritional care plans is essential to help them balance nutritional shortfalls and improve their odds of recovery. This can be challenging if a product is difficult to incorporate into daily dietary routines, requires too frequent consumption, or must be taken in large quantities. Therefore, it is crucial to consider product format, portion sizes, packaging and ease of preparation during the development journey; and getting this right can come with its own complexities.

We understand the challenges associated with the development of transformative medical nutrition products. Our expert knowledge coupled with advanced powder technologies enables us to address potential product development hurdles, from stabilization to bioavailability, shelf-life, taste and more. By enhancing the quality and effectiveness of medical nutrition products, we can help to improve compliance and contribute to better health outcomes.

3. Take a condition-specific approach 

Adopting a condition-specific approach to innovation can make a profound difference to medical nutrition acceptance and adherence. This strategy enables manufacturers to develop targeted solutions that address special nutritional needs and deficiencies associated with specific disease states. Ultimately, providing individuals that are living with health conditions the best possible nutritional management to support positive therapeutic outcomes.

To help spark inspiration, we’ve developed evidence-based premix concepts addressing specific disease states. Rooted in market data, end-user insights and the latest nutritional science, our condition-specific premix concepts combine the ingredients to address the unique nutritional requirements presented in conditions like sarcopenia, perioperative care, cancer cachexia, immune health and more.

Access our Medical Nutrition Innovation Guide here  to learn more.

4. Support the health of people - sustainably 

Sustainability doesn’t have to be an afterthought when it comes to medical nutrition innovation. By partnering with us, innovators can confidently rely on our expert support to develop medical nutrition products that are effective and tailored to specific health needs, but also contribute to environmental sustainability.

For instance, we use our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) expertise to measure and reduce the environmental impact of individual ingredients - from sourcing to delivery. Our Imp'Act Card™ initiative transparently communicates the environmental impact on an ingredient level. Take the vitamin C Imp'Act Card™ as an example. Produced in Dalry, Scotland, our vitamin C has 51% lower GHG emissions compared to other market options. The Imp’Act Card™ provides data on water usage, certifications and social impact, enabling customers to make eco-friendly choices. Additionally, as a EcoVadis platinum certified partner, we are committed to reaching net zero with science-based targets, among other initiatives. This holistic approach not only addresses the growing demand for sustainable products, but also promotes a healthier planet for future generations.

Premix solutions that go beyond the ingredient 

Premixes are an essential part of medical nutrition formulation. But high-quality premixes alone won’t create life-changing - and at times life-saving - medical nutrition solutions that put people first. As an end-to-end solutions provider in the medical nutrition space, we go beyond premixes to elevate nutritional care.

Engaging in purpose-led innovation that takes a human-centric approach is central to everything we do – because for us, this is the only way to address the individual needs and preferences of people with special dietary needs and ensure care plan compliance. Whatever the product you plan to develop, or the requirement you are trying to meet, we can help find the right Premix solution to accompany your product development process; getting medical nutrition products to people faster.