Designer meals take off as personalisation becomes a growing trend

Where are we now?

To date the process has centred around two areas. Either customisation of the actual product itself to make it suit a particular group of individuals, leaving out key ingredients (for those allergic to a product such as gluten, or wishing to avoid a particular product such as refined sugar), or adding an ingredient to deliver a specific benefit. Alternatively, adding an element of personalisation to the branding, mainly in the form of packaging. Perhaps the best known recent example of this is the addition of the most popular boy and girl names on Coke bottles.

A designer option for meals

However, recent developments have taken this process further, using the digital universe to allow customers to create an entire meal plan with products that fit their nutritional needs. One example of this process is The Sage project, a US start-up company that has analysed the ingredients in a whole host of food and drink products in far greater depth than is available on typical food packaging, making it considerably easier for consumers with nut or milk allergies for example to create a shopping list with products they know are safe for them.

Although the concept of personalisation / customisation has attracted the interest of multinationals such as Unilever, Nestle, and Campbell, it is believed that it is the smaller companies that will be at the forefront of driving this sector.

Baby food leads the way

Although now observers are starting to see the potential for adults, this system has emerged in recent years as an increasingly viable option for baby food. Companies such as Caer in LA have been providing a delivery service for parents for babies aged 6-18 months based on the requirements, and likes, of the individual child. As the website explains, the company asks some preliminary questions such as the age of the baby and what dietary restrictions or allergies the infant may have, and then the parents simply choose from the selected range of freshly made, organic, sugar-free meals. It is not a cheap option. For US$55 (minimum) there are 12 meals provided per week, with a full 24 meals costing US$90.

This compares with mainstream, although still organic and premium, alternatives such as Plum Organics where a pack of 12 meals costs US$15.00 (WalMart as at April 2017); a six pack of Ella’s Kitchen meals retails at US$8.94; while a single pot of Beechnut Naturals retails at US$0.98. Although the personalised option represents a hefty premium, parents are reassured that they are offering the very best homemade food to their infants, without the hassle of making them themselves. 

The benefits of this type of product are clear. A recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that babies who eat homemade food are leaner than babies who eat store-bought, ready-made options. They learn to like a wider variety of food and a diet of homemade food also results in a lower body fat mass as babies grow up.

The fact that the company is thriving and that it is not alone in offering this type of service, there are other similar companies throughout the USA, suggests that parents are prepared to pay a premium for a product specially designed for their infant and perhaps having become accustomed to the benefits of individually tailored, freshly prepared, organic food for their children, perhaps it is time to sit back, press a button, and order the next few days personally tailored meals for themselves. A healthier version of the Hungry House app!