DSM-Firmenich Develops Patient-Centered Medical Nutrition Solutions with an Emphasis on Flavour and Satisfaction
dsm-firmenich is encouraging the medical nutrition business to reconsider one of the most disregarded factors influencing patient acceptability and adherence: sensory experience. The company's global flavour and taste modification solutions portfolio, built exclusively for medical nutrition innovation, assists manufacturers in integrating sensory experience with nutritional research from the very beginning of product development.
Why patient experience matter
Delivering nutritional performance while also providing a delightful experience remains a problem in medical nutrition product design. Many functional additives can contribute bitterness, metallic overtones, lingering aftertaste, fishy taste and smell, or an unpleasant mouthfeel, all of which can make it difficult for patients to consume products consistently. In fact, unpleasant taste is the leading cause of medicinal nutrition cessation.1 Additional data underscores the scope of the opportunity: more than half (56%) of medical nutrition users believe products could taste better, and 41% want a larger range of flavour alternatives.2 These findings highlight the important need to rethink taste as a practical obstacle to the acceptance and adherence of medical nutrition treatments, and thus clinical outcomes.
From need to enjoyment
dsm-firmenich's extensive flavour and taste modification portfolio combines the knowledge and capabilities required to meet difficult sensory challenges in medical nutrition. It combines patient and consumer insights with flavours created specifically for clinical applications, proprietary taste modulation technologies like ModulaSENSE®, cutting-edge receptor-based sensory science, and optimised premix capabilities in a single holistic offering designed specifically for medical nutrition. Highlights include breakthrough solutions to mask the fishy taste and smell associated with omega-3 ingredients, three approaches to tackle 'flavour fatigue' and support greater patient empowerment, and smell-led concepts that may stimulate appetite and improve eating experience by turning aroma into an adherence driver rather than a barrier.
Tom Pugh, Senior Director, Global Marketing Medical Nutrition, comments on the latest move: "Patients who rely on medical nutrition are frequently dealing with some of life's most difficult situations. Getting the nourishment they require should never feel like an extra responsibility. By pushing beyond masking and designing for the entire sensory experience, we can help patients convert nutrition from something they tolerate to something they actively choose and enjoy every day, resulting in improved adherence and outcomes."
Source: dsm-firmenich
