'A better shopping experience' for allergy sufferers: Asda partners with Foodmaestro to personalise e-commerce

19-Jul-2018 - Last updated on 19-Jul-2018 at 13:09 GMT

Asda, Foodmaestro want to make it easier to shop with food allergies ©iStock/piotr_malczyk

Asda, the UK arm of retail giant Wal-Mart, is introducing a personalised online nutritional search to its e-commerce offering to make it easier for consumers with allergies or special dietary requirements to buy groceries online.

Asda is collaborating with app developer Foodmaestro and product information provider Nielsen Brandbank to bring what it described as a “UK market-first” to its customers.

Making shopping more ‘personal and relevant’

Phil Wilkinson, Asda senior director of online grocery, said that the initiative was part of the retailers drive to strengthen the omni-channel experience the supermarket offers.

“At Asda, we are constantly striving to make shopping more personal and relevant for our customers. Our partnership with Foodmaestro will help us deliver an even better shopping experience for customers with specific dietary and nutritional requirements in their household,” he said.

The aid offers a “custom filter option” designed to help customers with “complex dietary and lifestyle needs” to find the food they want. This includes custom filters that allow people to filter products identified as matching their diet, lifestyle or nutritional choices.

Available across Asda Online Groceries, customers will be able to select from filters matching several food allergens and intolerances including nuts, gluten and lactose, as well as diets and lifestyles including vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher. New options to sort results by sugar, salt, carbohydrates and fat have also been introduced.

Foodmaestro’s mission to manage food allergies

Foodmaestro has produced a platform that uses evidence-based algorithms that have been clinically verified to help people find the right foods.

The group developed the platform behind the Coeliac UK Food and Drink directory. Foodmaestro also developed the mobile Gluten Free Food Checker and the Low FODMAP Diet app, which used across the UK in many NHS Trusts, in partnership with King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Foodmaestro works closely with the Anaphylaxis Campaign, the only UK wide charity that are solely dedicated to supporting people who are at risk of severe allergic reactions.

In order to deliver the data to Asda, Foodmaestro partnered with Nielsen Brandbank in order to utilise Nielsen Brandbank's trusted source of verified supplier approved product content.

Jaed Khan, CEO Foodmaestro said: “Partnering with Asda to aid shoppers and enhance their digital experience, is just another step in making shopping easier and more rewarding. We are extremely excited to be recognised by Asda as their chosen partner.”