In nutrigenomics, the interactions between nutrition and the genome are analysed in general and in particular with a focus on the influence of nutrition on gene expression, i.e. its visible results. Assuming that nutrition is one of the most important factors for health (e.g. current research suggests that 30-60% of cancers can be attributed to nutrition) and that the body's response to food intake is influenced by the genome and can therefore differ between individuals, the objectives of nutrigenomics are:

• provide personalised nutritional recommendations to avoid unintended health risks.
• develop targeted diets for the treatment of chronic diseases.
• develop a deeper understanding of the connection between genes and nutrition and their effects on the organism as a whole.

Nutrigenomic findings have great potential to contribute to public health and to develop effective means of preventing common diseases in the long term. At the same time, a number of ethical problems arise in connection with nutrigenomics.

The current state of research in nutrigenomics is not sufficient to actually provide precise recommendations for an individual diet based on genetic analysis that go beyond the statements of conventional, personalised nutritional advice. Nevertheless, there are already numerous service companies that offer nutrigenomic counselling, often with the aim of promoting their own nutritional supplements using recommendations based on separately offered, cost-intensive tests. This is a relatively new form of service that has not yet been sufficiently regulated by law. The interpretation of genetic tests for the purposes of nutritional counselling also requires a high level of genetic knowledge and cannot simply be handed over to established medical professionals, as they generally lack the required skills and nutritional counselling is generally only a very small part of standard medical practice. In some cases, providing in-depth counselling would overstretch existing capacities, meaning that the integration of nutrigenomic findings on a broader social level also represents an infrastructural challenge.

Access to nutrigenomic testing and counselling also entails socio-ethical aspects. With more in-depth knowledge of the links between nutrition and illness, personal responsibility for one's own health appears to increase, which could be linked to social pressure to eat a healthy diet. Not only is there a fear that the function of nourishment could change from a socially important luxury food to medicine, but it is also assumed that the quality of care in the event of illness could deteriorate due to the attribution of blame and stigmatisation. In addition, the usability of nutrigenomic offers and findings is often closely linked to individual wealth, because nutrigenomic advice is often expensive and healthy, customised food is not affordable for many people.

Ultimately, there is a fear that comprehensive knowledge of the genetic predisposition of different people and their individual health risk classification will lead to a form of genetic discrimination, for example in the form of different rates for health insurance.