Stratified Nutrition: Asia’s Bridge Between Innovation and Public Health
- PYD
- Jun 27
- 3 min read
While personalised nutrition remains a distant goal due to cost and complexity, stratified nutrition is emerging as a practical, scalable solution for Asia. It offers a middle ground between one-size-fits-all diets and highly individualised plans, enabling health-focused innovation tailored by population segment. With rising demands for longevity, women’s health, and culturally aligned diets, stratified nutrition is expected to shape the region’s next phase of food innovation.
Why Personalised Nutrition Isn’t Ready for the Masses
The vision of nutrition tailored to each individual—powered by AI, wearables, and DNA insights—remains an aspiration. In Asia, cost, infrastructure, and data fragmentation continue to limit feasibility.
“The technology is there, but at a price point that doesn’t work for the general population,” said Dr Germaine Yong, senior scientist at A*STAR SIFBI, at the 2025 Future Food Asia Summit.
Consumers across Asia are highly diverse in income, health needs, and dietary habits, making full personalisation unrealistic for now. Instead, experts are rallying behind stratified nutrition as a scalable alternative.
What Is Stratified Nutrition?
Stratified nutrition tailors dietary solutions to specific groups based on:
Age
Gender
Health condition
Lifestyle
Socioeconomic status
It sits between:
Precision nutrition: Customised to population subgroups (e.g., women aged 50+, diabetic patients)
Personalised nutrition: Customised to the individual (N=1)
“It’s about designing solutions that work for segments of society—not the masses, not the individual—but something feasible in between,” said Dr Yong.
The Cultural Complexity of Asia
Even stratified nutrition is no easy task in Asia, where cultural, familial, and cooking habits vary widely:
South Korea: Individual households prefer convenience and ready-to-eat options.
Singapore: Multigenerational households where elders often dictate food choices.
“We must design solutions that work for their cultures, their lifestyles, and their pockets,” said Dr Yong.
Data Gaps and the Role of Industry
One key barrier to scalable nutrition innovation is lack of data exchange:
Upstream food ingredient companies hold valuable data on ingredient interaction, texture (rheology), and sensorial perception.
Consumer health data remains fragmented, slowing AI-based solution development.
Dr Yong emphasizes the need for:
Public education on the benefits of stratified and personalised nutrition
Government-led trust building through policy and communication
Cross-industry collaboration to unlock the full potential of nutrition data
Accounting for Asian Biology
A critical piece of Asia’s nutrition future lies in recognising biological differences between Asian and Western consumers:
Many Asians have high visceral fat despite lean appearances.
These differences impact how diets affect health and how nutrients are absorbed.
“There’s growing demand for solutions that reflect Asian physiology, not just imported models from the West,” said Dr Yong.
The Strategic Focus: Women’s Health & Healthy Longevity
Current R&D in Asia is targeting:
Women’s health, especially hormone-related needs
Healthy aging, with a focus on extending healthspan in aging populations
This is particularly urgent in Singapore, where a greying population is putting pressure on healthcare systems and dietary quality.
“Stratified nutrition can help seniors enjoy optimal health without giving up food satisfaction,” Dr Yong concluded.
A Path Forward for Public Health and Innovation
Stratified nutrition represents Asia’s next step—a realistic, culturally grounded model for health-focused eating that:
Supports functional food innovation
Enables market scalability
Balances individual health needs with affordability and tradition
It may not be the endgame, but it’s the most accessible and impactful path forward for a region striving to align food innovation with public good.
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