Whatever claims nutrition and supplement brands are able to make about their products, the precise formulation and combination of primary ingredients is only one of the ways in which they can be made to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Another feature of the landscape emerging out of the coronavirus pandemic is likely to be a much greater amount of development work being put into delivery formats.
Jérôme Darribeau, global manager for custom solutions for IFF Health, said the company had years of experience of working with formats other than capsules. “A growing number of consumers are expecting alternatives to capsules when looking at their immune health supplementation,” he said. “Our current portfolio includes sachets, sticks, chewable tablets and even oil drops, focusing more on infants.” R&D teams had also seen success with more food-like applications such as chocolate and juices, he added.
“We keep working on new ways to deliver active ingredients to consumers via innovative vehicles, that can be orientated towards either food or dietary supplements,” said Darribeau. “Stay tuned to discover our future launches.”
So, for example, even before the pandemic, 35% of US consumers polled in July 2019 said they would be motivated to buy a nutrition or meal-replacement drink by products supporting immune health.14
Also, from the US comes an example of a brand marketing shots combining turmeric with probiotics.15 In other words, being able to differentiate product delivery is, in many areas, becoming just as important to brands as being able to differentiate active compounds and their modes of operation.
It would be naïve to think that the much keener awareness of immunity – the risks to it, as well as routes to reinforcing it – shared by many of today’s consumers is purely about dietary supplementation. Werner emphasized the many ways in which consumers were re-establishing control over their own health. “Data shows that these recent healthy lifestyle changes, regarding nutrition, exercise, stress management and sleep, which all affect immunity directly or indirectly, may just be here to stay.”
But within this new consumer consciousness around immune health, dietary supplements combining probiotics, key botanicals and minerals look set to play a starring role.
References:
14. Lightspeed/Mintel, quoted in Patent Insight, April 2020. 15. Included in Mintel’s Patent Insight, April 2020.
While the focus for many consumers is shifting to the immune system’s baseline strength, there is still a place for botanicals with a solid track record in providing an additional boost, and here, too, quality is key.
Echinacea has long been applied to supporting healthy immune function in adults and the elderly, and Pelargonium has found traditional use in providing positive effects for coughs and colds. Ginseng has been relied on to reinforce the body’s natural defenses, while plants such as ivy leaf and thyme have often been valued as expectorants.
Product manager of IFF Health Maria Dolores Garcia explained the importance of how these ingredients are processed. “IFF manufactures these botanical extracts in its European facilities, guaranteeing food safety and active function,” she said.
As examples, she highlighted the company’s Echinacea EFLA 894, cold-pressed juice from Echinacea purpurea, which offers natural support for immune system function, and its Pelargonium EFLA 956, extracted from Pelargonium sidoides roots showing immune modulatory properties.