Digestive health market growth overview
Industry stakeholders have seen exponential growth in this category, especially in 2020, when consumers started turning to gut health products to boost immunity. Mike Hughes, head of research and insight at FMCG Gurus, highlights that approximately 6 in 10 consumers have bought at least one probiotic product over the last twelve months. Further, Kevin Krail, business development manager at Marinova, noted that “recent market research1 indicates nearly half of all consumers now believe that a healthy gut is key for overall wellbeing.”
The results of a consumer study—conducted May 2020 in the United States, China, and Italy by IFF Health—showed that consumers’ usage and compliance towards probiotic supplements increased during the early days of the pandemic. Jennifer Montgomery, probiotics and marketing manager at IFF Health summarised: "From six months prior, to the time of the study, consumers in Italy reported the greatest increase in usage (188%) and weekly compliance (83%) while China saw a 108% increase in total users, and the U.S. an increase of 66%.
Projecting forward past the current spikes, and in comparison to the baseline, the data indicates that in both Italy and the U.S., usage and compliance will continue to grow. In China, though usage will fall back to the baseline level, compliance among those users is expected to increase. As usage and compliance increase worldwide, the dietary supplement industry can expect the global probiotic supplement market to grow. Valued at $5.97 billion in 2019, the global probiotic supplement market is projected to reach $7.21 billion by 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.9%.2”
Even as probiotics consumption has increased during the pandemic, consumers are becoming more aware of how gut health can influence overall health. Sophie Medlin, a well-recognised consultant dietitian and chair for the British Dietetic Association in London, sees that consumers are more interested in the link between gut health and immunity, encouraging brand owners to update messaging to take advantage. For example, Medlin observes manufacturers adding vitamin C, zinc or vitamin D to gut health products in order to include an immune health claim.
1 2020 gut health report by FONA International
2 © Euromonitor International, Consumer Health Industry Database