A “third muscle”: DSM execs flag personalized nutrition importance in light of new strategy

10 Nov 2020 --- DSM has added personalized nutrition as a “third muscle” to its corporate strategy in a move to further shape its Human Nutrition & Health business. The company is already piloting new offerings in this space, including a “holistic” solution to optimize immunity.

NutritionInsight speaks with Philip Eykerman, president of Human Nutrition & Health, and James Bauly, head of personalized nutrition, about the road ahead for the company.

Since 2015, DSM has been guided by the global products and local solutions pillars. “Now, personalization adds a third muscle on top of this. However, the first and second muscles are still important to provide the means and financial resources to develop the third,” explains Eykerman.

Boiling down the development of DSM, he describes how the business has evolved from primarily being a “product-push” company based on solid science and making use of manufacturing capabilities. This comprises the global products element.

“Then there came a moment when we started to think about potential value propositions for individual customer segments – this was the local solutions time. Now we are adding the precision element, powered by data and biosciences,” details Eykerman. Personalized nutrition comes as a “third muscle” to DSM’s overall strategy. 

New products for immunity
Eykerman believes that supplementation lends itself particularly well to personalized nutrition, in contrast to foods and beverages. 

“Personalized supplementation is the place to start. It allows you to be more precise, so the impact becomes more measurable,” he explains. 

In this space, the company has developed a platform that will be accessible through an app, which the company is trialling with its customers and consumers. 

The app will eventually allow anyone to track their nutrition status, as well as other immunity-related elements like stress, sleep and exercise. 

“All of these elements combine to provide an immunity score, which you can then track over time. You will also receive recommendations to improve these different elements,” details Bauly. 

“For example, you could get a recommendation for a vitamin D supplement or receive a personalized supplement with various nutritions.” 

The app can also provide recommendations about improving sleep and reducing stress levels, for example. Bauly anticipates that it will reach the market by the start of next year.  

Bolstering vitamin D efficiency
Another product in the pipeline is a bioavailable form of vitamin D, called Ampli-D. “Traditional vitamin D products take two months to bring levels back to the optimum level, but this is a very long time in the personalized nutrition space,” explains Eykerman.

In contrast, Ampli-D is calcifediol or 25-hydroxy, which the liver usually has to convert from vitamin D3. By cutting out the conversion step, these tablets or gummies can increase vitamin D levels in the blood in a matter of days or weeks. 

Ampli-D is already on the market in many regions, but DSM is still waiting for approval as a dietary supplement everywhere except Australia. 

“If you want to be successful in personalized nutrition, you have to come with different solutions. People want to see impact fast – personalization opens your eyes to what type of innovations you need to work on,” says Eykerman. In contrast to functional foods and drinks, supplementation lends itself particularly well to personalized nutrition.

COVID-19 spotlights immunity
With 2020 being dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is no surprise that immunity is such an area of focus. 

“When you catch a virus – whether it turns into COVID-19 or any other flu – immunity is important both in prevention and treatment. However, people might not have been aware of it before,” says Eykerman.

Bauly adds that scientists and policymakers are now focusing on nutrition because it is so important in optimizing immunity. 

“This will contribute to lasting awareness because it comes down to consumers being aware that they can optimize and boost their immunity.”

Eykerman also points out that the pandemic is also having an impact on other areas of health. As people spend more time at home in front of screens, both eyes and body weight can be affected. 

Fitting into DSM’s broader picture
This new strategy is also positioning DSM as an end-to-end partner, rather than solely an ingredients provider. 

Notably, DSM is also streamlining its focus on the nutrition and health markets, which now account for roughly 80 percent of the company’s profitability. While the company recently divested its Resins & Functional Materials business, Eykerman says there are currently no plans to sell its remaining material sections. 

The company has also been on an acquisition trail within personalized nutrition, bringing digital health platform AVA under its wing last year. 

In its Q3 results released earlier this month, DSM reported a “solid first nine months in a challenging COVID-19 environment,” with a continuing robust performance, despite significant adverse foreign exchange effects.

By Katherine Durrell