DNA technology “nudges” consumers to make personalized healthy shopping choices

05 Dec 2019 --- Tapping into personalized nutrition, genetic testing company DnaNudge has launched new pop-up services at supermarket chain Waitrose and department store John Lewis in the UK. Shoppers can take a quick, on-site cheek swab to generate a personalized DNA report revealing key nutrition-related health traits. DnaNudge’s technology is the first in-store genetic test that “nudges” shoppers to make healthier choices and to get sufficient physical exercise, all provided by DNA technology.

“Retailers have an important role to play in helping shoppers who want to be healthier, so we are pleased to be teaming up with DnaNudge to offer this new technology which enables customers to make more informed choices based on the dietary aspect of their DNA,” Moira Howie, Nutrition and Health Manager at Waitrose & Partners, tells NutritionInsight.

“We’re excited to be working in partnership with Waitrose and John Lewis to deliver our DnaNudge service to customers in these stores. These new pop-ups bring our ‘Shop with your DNA’ technology and ‘Eat right, move more’ message for healthier food choices direct to Waitrose and John Lewis customers,” says Professor Chris Toumazou, Regius Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London and CEO and Co-Founder of DnaNudge. 

Once tested in the stores, shoppers can begin using the DnaNudge smartphone app or a wrist-worn DnaBand to scan over 500,000 food and drink product barcodes to assess a product’s suitability based on consumers’ personal genetic profile. 

With the app, the camera becomes a barcode reader, facilitating healthy shopping based on DNA. It recommends alternative product swaps in the same category that would be more healthy based on a person’s unique DNA. 

With a touch of an app, consumers can make better informed dietary choices based on their own DNA.Similarly, the DnaBand flashes green if a product is a good match for a person’s DNA and red if it isn’t. It also features a physical inactivity monitor, which glows amber when the user has been inactive for too long during the day. A lack of physical activity changes the user’s product recommendations in the app – something that was green may show as amber and to get back to green, you need to exercise. 

Personalized nutrition trending
While retailers play an important role in helping shoppers become healthier, this DNA-personalized service offers solutions to the health issues consumers face, all while respecting their privacy.

“We all want personalization in every choice we make. The best way is by using your DNA. Even just switching out one type of cereal for a lower sugar alternative can reduce one’s risk of Type 2 diabetes,” says Dr. Maria Karvela, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at DnaNudge.

Toumazou emphasizes that this new wave of technology is not only inspired by genetics, lifestyle and health care, but more importantly, behavior. “Everyone needs to be ‘nudged’ differently. After a while, you educate yourself and you then know what is good or bad for you,” says Toumazou. Consumers seek decision-making facilitators at the point of use, without having to wait and worry about physicians’ undecipherable results, he adds.

In the future, DnaNudge is keen on extending its DNA-personalized services into other areas over the coming months. 

The use of technology to personalize nutrition has been booming, as seen in products such as FoodMarble Aire, a portable breath test and app to measure and track digestive health. Meanwhile, Seed Health and Atmo Biosciences recently announced a collaboration on an ingestible gas-sensing capsule technology monitor key gases produced within the gut in real-time. To keep track of innovation within personalized nutrition, five organizations came together to form the American Nutrition Association (ANA).

By Anni Schleicher