Chairman of Nestlé, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, believes that the food and pharmaceutical industries are heading towards the centre ground of “disease modifying nutritionals”. New Zealand Professor Lynnette Ferguson talks of “nutrigenomics”.
The concepts of ‘nutraceuticals’ and ‘cosmeceuticals’ have been around for years. The expression I’ve tended to use is ‘self medication’.
The point is that most of us want to live life more fully and for longer. We’re becoming used to the idea that functional foods and drinks can make this easier. The main market successes so far have been energy drinks, probiotics and cholesterol reduction.
I’m sure we shall hear a lot more about personalised nutrition as a prevailing theme of the coming decade and beyond.
Richard Hall is chairman of Zenith International. You can also read his blog at BevBlog.
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