Personalized nutrition for all? Blood testing company flags accessibility challenges as it receives FDA approval

29 Jan 2020 --- US-based personalized nutrition company Baze has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its at-home blood collection process, which allows customers to assess their blood nutrient status. The company then analyzes the blood samples to offer nutrition plans and supplement subscriptions specific to individual needs and deficiencies. Although the nutrient testing kit may appear to be another luxury technology item in the personalized nutrition space, Alex Boches, Baze COO and US General Manager, tells NutritionInsight that the company aims to catapult its innovation as an accessible product for more at-risk populations, addressing major nutritional health concerns. 

“Our mission is to make micro-nutrition status a stronger metric for understanding and improving health at an individual-level, as well as for the broader US population. Creating an accessible product is a core to our business and one we use as a North Star for all of our decisions,” Boches affirms.

The company’s initial focus has been on reducing the cost of creating these data points, following a current approach of reducing the cost of running a comprehensive micronutrient panel from nearly US$600 to US$99, the spokesperson outlines.

The blood sample kit by Baze.“We do realize that this is still not where we need to be accessible across the US. Our path forward will look to other partners in the healthcare ecosystem to explore how Baze can support and improve the health for more at-risk populations. We know that there is a real health impact that will be delivered through this approach and we do not want this just to be a luxury item,” Boches adds.

How does it work?
After registering individual kits and filling out a short questionnaire, consumers place the blood sample extractor onto their arm and hold for two to seven minutes until the cartridge is full. Upon same-box arrival, the company’s Registered Dietitians analyze the micronutrients in the blood samples, testing for choline, chromium, copper, magnesium, omega 3, selenium, zinc, and vitamins B12, D and E. They tailor supplements to the body’s individual needs and deliver these back to the consumer in daily doses. 

Consumers are encouraged to periodically re-measure their nutrient levels and update the questionnaire to ensure they receive the supplements needed for desired results. “Customers note that starting their day by doing something good for their body has encouraged and motivated them to make additional healthy choices throughout the day,” says Boches.

“Most of our customers retest after three months and we have found that 73 percent of deficiencies that we identify in the first test are eliminated by the second. This also decreased the price of the following supplement order as most people will stop taking some nutrients or be put on lower doses,” he continues.

Privacy concerns addressed
Precision technologies – a combination of personal data, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) – will be key to unlocking long-term health and well-being in the future. However, protecting consumer rights and data regulation will need to be mitigated.

In direct response, the Baze spokesperson assures that the company not only takes privacy concerns seriously but also regards these as a responsibility across the entire customer journey that it has created. “I think the market, and rightly so, has been cautious around DNA testing platforms and we are clear to our customers that we never – and are unable – to analyze DNA, nor do we ever sell data for research,” he maintains. 

The blood samples are de-identified throughout the process and destroyed following testing. On the digital side, the company underscores it is working under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) best practices and heading toward developing a full HIPAA compliant platform.

Consumers can track their nutritional progress via the Baze app.Spotlighting nutritional education
Baze’s proprietary analytics program consists of a continuous feedback loop of testing and supplementing to conduct follow-up analyses on body changes and can adjust recommendations over time.

With at-home blood testing kits providing individualized nutritional health and supplementation plans, this “opens up an entirely new conversation in the health space,” the spokesperson states. By taking a more holistic health approach, the kit encourages customers to be more engaged with their health data daily through testing and creating the daily habit of supplementation.

“While you may consistently test for vitamin D in annual physicals, most people will never test their nutrient levels and will never be able to use this data point as a resource for making informed health decisions. We want to put your micronutrition into the conversation to inform what you can do to live a healthier and happier life,” Boches further highlights. 

What’s next for Baze?
The company’s 2020 plan is to build flexibility of the product to begin providing more flexibility into what resources customers can use to improve their nutrient status. These include food recommendations, and help in measuring and tracking consumers’ health impact. 

“We are looking to build Baze into the one-stop-shop for optimizing your nutrition and are actively expanding our panel. We are also looking to partners to help us build in new and impactful ways of improving your nutritional status,” Boches concludes.

By Anni Schleicher