Foodtech firm launches tool for tailoring food intake to personal needs

The programme​,​ launched by Dutch food tech startup Verdify, caters to people with food allergies, digestive issues, and weight management goals, offering an accessible solution to assess nutritional needs, optimise food intake, create personalised meal plans, and monitor progress. 

It aims to complement the work of dieticians, who often face limitations in creating extensive meal plans for each individual. 

Fleur Pasman, the company’s chief operations officer, tells NutraIngredients: “We want to make sure that everybody can take the next step in terms of eating healthier and more sustainably.”

What sets Noory apart is its innovative approach to recipe optimisation, Pasman explains. 

Unlike static recipe databases with basic search filters, Noory uses advanced algorithms to automatically adjust recipes through ingredient substitutions, taking into account factors like nutritional values and taste preferences.

This ensures that even individuals with complex dietary needs have access to recipes that allow them to enjoy a diverse range of meals.

Noory is accessible through a web application where users can create personalised profiles.

Leveraging AI and dietetic guidelines, Noory calculates each user's nutritional needs and presents optimised recipes tailored to their specific goals and dietary preferences.

The platform has gained approximately 2,500 users since its early access launch this month.

AI fed with human expertise​

AI technologies, such as natural language processing and generative models, are used to identify ingredients and generate text. However, Pasman explains that at Noory, they place importance on human oversight by Noory's team of nutritionists to ensure the reliability of AI outputs.

While consumers may have concerns about the increasing use of AI, Alessia Carrafiello, project manager and nutritionist at Verdify, notes that Noory maintains rigorous security policies to protect sensitive data, including patient and user data. 

They also regularly review and update their guidelines to align with the latest scientific insights and best practices in the nutrition field.

Noory Med​ 

The next stage of development for Verdify is a soon-to-be-launched Noory Med iteration of the platform intended for use by medical professionals. 

Noory Med is a concept aimed at providing personalised nutrition plans for individuals with medical conditions like breast cancer and obesity. 

It will serve to aid healthcare professionals, including dieticians, to create tailored nutrition plans for their patients, saving time and improving treatment outcomes.

Pasman explains that for people visiting the doctor with serious health concerns, there is a lot of information to digest: “Adding on top of that the requirement to change habits can be one of the toughest things, particularly when someone needs to remember what they’re meant to add to their diet, how to source it, and to try to find out how to cook things they’re not used to cooking. It’s a lot.”

The project is in its final testing phase and will be implemented in clinical settings from this month onwards. 

Verdify​

Co-founded by Jochem Bossenbroek and Sandrin Bergheanu almost five years ago,  Verdify is a Dutch foodtech company that develops software for recipe personalisation.

Combining expertise in the life sciences, dietetics, A.I., and new business models, the company aims to unlock the potential of personalised nutrition for consumers, healthcare, and companies in the food sector.