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Contact: Sue FinderupJob title: Sales ManagerCompany: Waitaki BiosciencesContact: sue@ waitakibio.co.nz Visit us: www.waitakibio.com
1How has the consumer market and interest in bone and joint health shifted in recent years, and how has your company innovated to meet the whitespace opportunities?
Not so much a shift as an acceleration of those underlying market drivers that have been around for a while. The bone and joint health space has always been an important one for Waitaki, and we have a decades long reputation for supplying quality products that meet the needs of this market segment. Now, with a rapidly aging global population, this demand shows no signs of waning. There is a rise in age related chronic conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis, so natural products that support those conditions remain incredibly important. In parallel with this “chronic condition” demand, we see an increased focus on wellness, an increase in life expectancy, and the expectation of aging well. Consumers have a strong desire to remain fit and active well into the later years of life. The Covid pandemic has brought personal health and wellness into sharp focus for many people too, and, not surprisingly, interest in pet products that address these same health and wellness concerns has been explosive. Finally, consumers are interested in sustainability, traceability and provenance just as much as efficacy. We are focused on ensuring our products meet this ever increasing need for efficacious and responsibly manufactured ingredients.
2What ingredient(s) do you offer that support bone and/or joint health, and how are they differentiated from other offerings?
We have a broad range of solutions amongst our branded ingredient portfolio. PernaTec® Greenshell Mussel Oil Extract, manufactured from native New Zealand Greenshell mussels satisfies the need for a highly concentrated anti-inflammatory product. With high levels of marine phospholipids that encourage maximum absorption of the naturally occurring Omega 3 fatty acids while protecting against oxidation, PernaTec® Greenshell Mussel Oil extract provides potent joint support for those looking to maintain an active lifestyle. In the bone health space, StimuCal® is a deeply researched and tested product manufactured from 100% New Zealand prime beef bone. StimuCal® provides not just calcium but a whole biologically active matrix of bone supporting nutrients including collagen and other bone proteins. StimuCal® has been scientifically proven to promote the remineralisation of bone safely, without creating problematic spikes in serum calcium levels. CollaMex® focuses on the joint care category and has a unique profile with a high percentage of undenatured type II collagen as well as glycosaminoglycans to support joint comfort and to help protect joint cartilage from deterioration.
3What type of applications can your ingredient(s) be used in, and what support do you offer around product development for this category?
Depending on the product, hardshell or softgel encapsulations, tableting and functional beverage premixes. There is also crossover into pet product applications, such as pet treats. We place a strong emphasis on technical support and have a highly skilled inhouse R&D team who are available to assist with any technical questions and work on product refinements with key customers.
4 How do you define your company’s point of differentiation and advantages in the market?
We have direct access to high quality raw material streams with exceptional levels of traceability. As we manufacture everything ourselves, from locally (New Zealand) sourced raw materials, we retain the highest levels of control over product quality. Decades of manufacturing experience mean we have perfected the art of delivering efficacious products that are as close to the natural state as possible, retaining maximum levels of biological activity.
Contact: Jaume ReguantJob title: Healthcare Director Company: Bioiberica Contact: healthcare@bioiberica.com Visit us: www.bioiberica.com
1 How has the consumer market and interest in bone and joint health shifted in recent years, and how has your company innovated to meet the whitespace opportunities?
Consumers are increasingly thinking about their mobility within the broader context of general wellness and looking for solutions that address multiple health concerns. Two thirds of consumers recognise the direct link between mobility and overall health and one of the top reasons that individuals want to maintain good mobility is to improve their lifestyle, rather than solve a specific health issue, according to a survey by FMCG Gurus.
This means many individuals now think less about ‘joint health’ and more about ‘all-round mobility’. This is reflected in their purchasing choices too, with multi-ingredient solutions leading the way. Additionally, consumers are savvier than ever – many (72%) say that clinically-proven ingredients are important to them, according to a 2022 survey by the Industry Transparency Center. This has put science-backed solutions at the forefront of purchasing decisions.
2 What ingredient(s) do you offer that support bone and/or joint health, and how are they differentiated from other offerings?
We offer several market-leading ingredients that offer benefits for joints, muscles and tendons respectively. They include Collavant n2 native (undenatured) type II collagen for joint health, and Mobilee® – our hyaluronic acid (HA) matrix ingredient for mobility. Collavant n2 supports joint health via a unique mechanism of action called Oral Tolerance – all at a convenient low dose of only 40 mg/day.
Meanwhile, Mobilee® contains three naturally-occurring components – hyaluronic acid, polysaccharides and collagen. Together, they work synergistically to increase the endogenous synthesis of hyaluronic acid 200-fold; supporting joint and muscle health at a low dose of 80 mg/day.
3 What type of applications can your ingredient(s) be used in, and what support do you offer around product development for this category?
Our ingredients can be used in a range of applications – from standard dietary supplements to ever-popular gummy formats, as well as functional foods, ready-to-drink shakes and protein blends. In addition to providing high-quality ingredients, we support our customers every step of the way – from product concept to commercialisation.
This includes providing the scientific evidence that demonstrates the beneficial effect of our ingredients, giving advice on the analytical methods used to characterise them in the desired application, sharing market insights and supplying the necessary documentation and recommendations regarding regulatory pathways – all so they can successfully launch and differentiate their offering in the market.
We are the partner of choice in the joint health and mobility market, with 20+ years of experience in the space and a strong commitment to scientific research. Aside from our specialisation in identifying, extracting and developing molecules of high biological value – which are then transformed into quality products – our production capacity, supply chain model and vertical integration guarantee full traceability, security and sustainability.
Contact: Xavier BergerJob title: Global Market Manager, Mobility & Joint HealthCompany: Gnosis by LesaffreContact: x.berger@gnosis.lesaffre.comVisit us: www.gnosisbylesaffre.com
The market is robust for supplements supporting bone and joint health. We are thankfully seeing younger consumers proactively working to support their health through supplementation, recognizing that obtaining proper nutrition can make a significant difference. In support of this insight, we reference a 2022 survey of 3,500 global dietary supplement consumers from the Industry Transparency Center.
• 63% reported, “I am proactive about my health and take steps to lower health risks,” while 76% said, “I use/have used vitamins, minerals, herbs, or other dietary supplements to manage my health.”
• 62% reported using Vitamin K2 supplements, ranking in the top 10 ingredients used.
• Bone and Heart Health ranked as the top reasons for using Vitamin K2, especially for regular users.
Gnosis by Lesaffre provides the most comprehensive Vitamin K2 as MK-7 offering on the market, with MenaQ7® K2 as our shining star. MenaQ7® is the only K2 as MK-7 clinically validated to support bone and heart health, with more than 22 published human clinical trials confirming safe and efficacious benefits. While other suppliers offer K2 ingredients, none have the body of evidence that MenaQ7® does, ensuring manufacturers will deliver promised health benefits to the end consumer.
Further, our award-winning Vitamin K2 Matrix is a proprietary protective technology that ensures the stability of the menaquinone molecule in complex formulas. Matrix is a true clean-label protective technology – it comes with no coating, no additive, and no additional ingredient. It offers the shortest list of ingredients, limited to the active molecule and carrier, easing label concerns and the formulation process for our finished product partners.
Our Vitamin K2 Solutions Platform offers a variety of dilutions and solubilities. Regardless of your desired final delivery format – tablets, soft gels, liquids, gummies, soft chews, ready-to-drink powders, dairy, etc. – we offer a K2 Solution that will allow manufacturers to bring those products to life.
Regarding product support, our team is dedicated to guiding our commercial partners through the formulation process all the way through helping them effectively market those products to the end consumer. A partnership with Gnosis by Lesaffre does not end once kilos are delivered – we are genuinely invested in our partners' successes.
4How do you define your company's point of differentiation and advantages in the market?
We believe in science, service, and sustainability. No other company offers the level of clinical substantiation we do for our MenaQ7® K2. No other company has driven education about the importance of Vitamin K2, increasing the demand for our partners' products. And it is essential to nurture the planet's health, which drives our sustainability initiatives, particularly using fermentation and biotransformation as the cornerstone of our company-wide offer.
