Nutraceutical & ingredient science
Evidence framework for a burnout-prevention supplement concept
Scientific and positioning foundations for a supplement concept targeting workplace burnout — built so the claims story could survive both regulatory and scientific scrutiny.
Client context: Early-stage venture, EIT Food ecosystemPeriod: 2025
PhD-led
clinical evidence review
1
unified claims architecture
3
stakeholder narratives aligned
01
The problem
- The venture had a compelling market insight — chronic workplace stress — but no structured evidence framework beneath the product idea.
- Stress, mood and cognition are among the most claim-sensitive territories in the supplement category, where enthusiasm easily outruns what can legally and honestly be said.
- Investors and corporate partners needed to see scientific credibility, not ingredient folklore.
02
The approach
- Reviewed the mechanistic and clinical literature behind candidate functional ingredients for stress resilience and cognitive performance.
- Separated what the evidence supports, what it suggests, and what it cannot carry — and built the communication strategy on the first two only.
- Constructed a claims architecture connecting each ingredient rationale to a permissible, defensible consumer-facing message.
- Shaped the science communication strategy for three audiences: regulators, corporate buyers and end users.
03
What was produced
- An evidence framework linking ingredient selection to mechanism, outcome and target user.
- A claims architecture separating defensible territory from high-risk language.
- A science communication strategy and product rationale for partner and investor conversations.
- Mentoring input for the founding team on evidence-driven product education.
04
Commercial impact
- Moved the concept from market intuition to an evidence-anchored proposition that stakeholders could interrogate.
- Reduced downstream regulatory and reputational risk by fixing the claims boundary before packaging and marketing work began.
- Gave the team a scientific story consistent across pitch, product and education materials.
Relevant engagements
Scientific Positioning LabInnovation SprintExecutive Science Advisory
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