Start-up launches made-to-order 3D gummies: 'If anything should be personalised, it should be our health’

“With a plethora of information out there nowadays about health and wellness, it is seemingly impossible to figure out what you actually need,” ​according to entrepreneur Melissa Snover.

“If you do manage to figure out what you need, it is equally difficult to actually find it, take it, or eat it – and for long enough to make a meaningful impact.”​ 

Snover’s solution is Nourished, a start-up she founded to develop ‘the world’s first’ 3D-printed, customised nutrition stack. 

3D printed edibles​ ​

Nourished is founded on patented 3D printer technology, originally developed by Snover for her first start-up - Magic Candy Factory. Together with CTO Martyn Catchpole, Snover combined deposition modelling and seven print heads to create an industrial 3D printer capable of producing a month’s supply of personalised supplements. 

“By using our cutting edge 3D printers and patented vegan encapsulation gel, we can create a unique product for each and every person in a matter of minutes,”​ Snover elaborated at start-up event Bread and Jam in London this month.

The finished product is made up of seven nutrients from Nourished list of 28 vitamins, minerals, so-called superfoods, and ‘actives'.

The start-up claims that as its ingredients are sourced from whole foods, their nutrients are ‘higher in efficacy’ and ‘more readily absorbed’ by the body than conventional supplements. Those already on the market – traditionally in isolate tablet forms – also tend to have ‘long supply chains’, according to the firm.

Further, Nourished’s chewable format make a ‘great alternative’ for anyone who struggles to swallow conventional pills.

Personalised nutrition​

To personalise the gummy snack, consumers are asked to respond to an online questionnaire. The algorithm creates recommendations of nourishments best suited to that particular consumer’s lifestyle, goals, and health.

Snover worked on the questions for over 14 months. “I got my nutritionist license, but we also worked with loads of nutritionists, pharmacists and doctors to create this questionnaire,” ​she explained.

“There are about 15 questions, depending on how you answer it leads you to a different ‘tree’. Each one of the questions is weighted and gives each one of the nourishments a weighting based on your answer.”​

Currently, the questions focus on existing health conditions and lifestyle choices – such as diet and exercise. Goals are also addressed, “because we believe that people should take supplements not just to fix deficiencies, but also to shortcut and help boost their goal changes,” ​we were told.

In the future, Nourished hopes to work with DNA providers to ‘link through’ to existing DNA results for increased personalisation.

Consumers also have the option of selecting their own seven nutrients from the list. “We believe that if anything in the world should be personalised, it should be our health, wellness and nutrition,” ​said the CEO.

Nourished is delivered monthly in plastic-free, home compostable packaging. “You order it on day-one, and you have it in your hand by day-four.”​

While the current roll-out is exclusive to the UK, the CEO revealed plans to launch in the US and the Middle East in 2020, before expanding further afield.