When HN users recommended it
3 HN users recommended this between 2013 and 2014, in 3 comments.
20072026
Each tall tick is one HN user's first recommendation. A short tick is the same user again. Click a tick to jump to the comment.
3 HN users recommended this between 2013 and 2014, in 3 comments.
Each tall tick is one HN user's first recommendation. A short tick is the same user again. Click a tick to jump to the comment.
They also sell it as a powder that's $10.25 per 2,000 calories. Soylent is currently pre-selling for $9.29 per "day".
http://www.amazon.com/Ensure-Nutrition-Powder-Vanilla-Flavor...
> Are those real margins, or are those the costs of sensible operation in a safety critical regulated marketplace?
For late stage cancer patients it sure might be the case that the margins are deserved. But for healthy adults this might not be the case.
It really isn't that hard to measure basic powders and mix them together, nor is it that expensive to QA one's methods. Cost per day should approach cost of production per day in competitive commodity markets. The fact that this is not the case is due to some kind of market distortion, whether that is unserviced market need, human diet biases, oligopoly dynamics or regulatory barriers.
> how do you work out that price of $14 per day?
People need 2,000 kcal per day. Ensure nutritionally complete powder's serving size is 250 calories. Hence you need 8 servings per day to hit 2,000 kcal. A 7 serving can costs $13.71 on Amazon, which is $1.958 per serving, or $15.66 for a full day's needs. If you buy in bulk with a 6 can pack, cost per can is $10.83, giving $1.547 per serving, or $12.377 per day.
Sources:
1 can; http://www.amazon.com/Ensure-Nutrition-Powder-Vanilla-Flavor...
6 can pack: http://www.amazon.com/Ensure-Complete-Balanced-Nutrition-Van...
Using the oil packets and purchasing the most cost effective plan (28 bags for 255/month), Soylent gives you 220 calories per dollar. For a relatively sedentary averaged sized adult male (2100 calories/day), it will cost you about $285/month.
Ensure powder from Amazon[0] gets you to about 205 calories per dollar, which comes to $305/month for the same adult male. I don't buy the 'it's a lot cheaper than Ensure' line.
Another competitor, "Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass" is on Amazon in 12 pound bags for $49. It works out to 408 calories per dollar. Only $154/month for the same example male.
Admittedly Ensure and Serious Mass have different marketing than Soylent (Ensure for old people and Serious Mass for bodybuilders), but if you compare their ingredients you'll find they aren't very different.
[0] http://www.amazon.com/Ensure-Nutrition-Powder-Vanilla-Flavor... [1] http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Serious-Chocolate-Po...