IFF forges partnership to boost AI-targeted BFY snack innovation and give consumers control of their health and wellness

23-Nov-2022 - Last updated on 25-Nov-2022 at 10:32 GMT

IFF's partnership with Salus Optima will empower consumers to take control of their health and wellness goals. Pic: GettyImages/Tom Merton

The industry leader in sensorial experiences has forged a partnership with British health and wellness company Salus Optima to give brand owners access to an AI-driven personalised nutritional platform that will create snacks and other products that target metabolic health.

Metabolic health – often referred to as syndrome X – impacts over 25% of the global adult population and includes maladies like obesity, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol and pre-hypertension that feeds into the spread of diseases like type 2 diabetes, coronary disease stroke and other diseases. The total cost of metabolic health is in the trillions, including the expenses of health care and the loss of potential economic activity.

It truly is one of the biggest health hazard of modern world and the initial focus of the partnership between IFF and Salus Optima.

Two-pronged approach to redefine consumer health

Key to the success of the partnership’s personalised nutrition platform is blending science-backed, data driven recommendations with behavioural change techniques – such as digital coaching – with branded products at the core of the offering.

On the first level, the collaboration leverages Salus Optima’s tech with IFF’s portfolio of health-enabling ingredients from its Nourish and Health & Biosciences divisions to help product developers to create differentiated experiences that address the aspects that influence metabolic health.

IFF’s extensive portfolio of ingredients are science-backed and clinically-tested, and include probiotics, prebiotics, plant proteins and fibres, among others.

Secondly, the partnership is also focused on helping consumers understand their unique metabolic response to food, supplements, activity and sleep, accessible via mobile phones and wearables.

Salus Optima IFF partnership_with credit

“The partnership with Salus Optima places us at the forefront of the personalised nutrition space,” said Nicolas Mirzayantz, president of Nourish, IFF.

“It is a testament to our commitment to science, creativity and redefining possibilities with our customers and consumers at the centre of it.

“Our novel approach – an end-to-end personalised nutrition offering with best-in-class ingredient and flavour solutions, together with a scalable digital capability – is critical to meet the needs of consumers.”

Meeting the needs of consumers

“We see digital services as an enhancement to – not a replacement for – the overall personalised nutrition market,” added Sébastien Guery, VP of IFF Health.

“Products will always remain a critical part of health and wellness, but we also recognise the challenge our customers have in meeting the needs of their consumers when it comes to personalisation.

“IFF’s partnership with Salus Optima will enable our customers to empower consumers to make sustainable lifestyle choices to achieve their personal health and wellness goals with the blend of a physical product and a digital platform.”

Benefits for brand owners

The turn-key digital health and wellness platform is powered by IFF’s market-ready product design solutions, combined with Salus’ modular digital health tech.

It provides real-time consumer intel, doubling as a direct marketing tool that captures rich, first-party data beyond traditional points of sale to help brands gain a deeper understanding of consumer needs.

Set-up and integration with mobiles and wearables is quick and easy, and provides consumers with actionable, engaging and personalised suggestions to achieve health and wellness goals.

Salus Optima’s tech provides leading behaviour change techniques, and has been shown to increase brand lifetime value as much as double digits by supporting, motivating and empowering consumers to achieve their individual goals. Paired with IFF’s evidence-based efficacious ingredients, that brand value will obviously shoot up further.

Amplifying the human contact

Happy consumer make a difference climate change better for you Dirima — Pic: GettyImages

IFF is an industry leader in food, beverage, health, biosciences and sensorial experiences, merging science with creativity to create essential solutions for a better world. The global ‘collective of thinkers’ partners with customers to bring scents and tastes to life.

The company prides itself in bolding reimaging and pioneering the next gen of experiences that nourish people, products and the planet.

“By combining IFF’s science-led, high-quality, clinically-studied ingredients and applications expertise with Salus Optima’s world-class digital health and wellness capabilities, we invest in technology that drives the industry forward,” said Madhusudan Patel, director, venturing and tech sourcing, Global R&D, IFF.

Salus Optima’s digital products sit at the intersection of health and wellness, providing holistic human performance recommendations. Its core tech is built on years of R&D, tackling the real problems people face every day.

By making scientific methodologies accessible, the Oxfordshire-based software and data company is on a mission to give consumers greater control over their own health and wellbeing.

Said Rodrigo Jesus, CEO of Salus Optima, “Our mission is to help solve some of the world’s most pressing public health issues by using technology to democratise best in class-science and amplify human touch through digital coaching and behavioural change.

“Deploying this technology on mobile phones and wearables tackles head on the challenge many consumers face such as accessibility, convenience and cost.

“By collaborating with IFF, Salus is confident that we can empower individuals to make simple and sustainable food, supplement and lifestyle choices for better human health.”