ADM: Clean label trends and quality ingredients spur supplement demand

03 Mar 2022 --- Almost 50% of people who do not use supplements are concerned about the amount of artificial ingredients, according to an ADM report profiling the dietary supplement consumers of the future.

While there will always be some level of distrust, consumers now seek to know the “story” behind their product, which has given rise to the clean label trend, Vaughn DuBow, marketing director, North America, ADM health and wellness, tells NutritionInsight.

“People want to know what they are eating. What am I putting in my body? What farm does it come from? What country is it from? Is there child labor and children that are being exploited as a result?”39% of global consumers report supplements that are easy to consume are important.

Youth spur supplement demand
According to the report, the total global dietary supplements market revenue was US$76 billion in 2021, with an anticipated CAGR of 2.4% during 2021-2026.

“More and more consumers are using dietary supplements on a yearly basis. As younger generations come to age, they are far more accepting of utilizing dietary supplements. Although there are people who say ‘no, I don’t want to use dietary supplements,’ they’re on that shrinking decline,” DuBow adds.

The report highlights one in three US supplement consumers search for clean label benefits. Specifically, 33% prefer supplements from natural sources, 32% want supplements that are free from allergens, 32% search for supplements without preservatives, while 31% say avoiding artificial colors and flavors is very important.

Quality over quantity
Though consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about ingredients, 79% of US consumers say taking supplements is important to their overall health.

Additionally, despite concerns over ingredients, 67% of global nutritional supplement users say they will continue to use nutritional supplements over the next 12 months, with immunity being a top health concern, followed by energy.

Notably, ADM highlights 49% of all nutritional supplement users say they would be willing to increase spending on nutritional supplements. This is in line with previous observations of premiumization, where consumers are willing to pay more for quality items. One in four people worldwide take a dietary supplement daily or almost every day.

Innovation behind delivery formats
ADM’s findings also highlight a rising CAGR in dietary supplement new product launches between 2016-2020 amounts, which is 20.2% where gummies are concerned.

“A lot of proprietary research has shown that the younger the generation, the more likely they are toward the gummies side. Why not? Gummies are fun, tasty and they look good,” DuBow underscores. 

Though one in four global supplement users would like to see supplements in different forms, this does not eclipse that 56% of consumers report using capsules and tablets, followed by jellies and gummies, the report highlights. 

This is in line with DuBow’s observations that older generations are still far more likely to be resorting to tablets and capsules. 

“It’s generational, but at some point, one thing that will happen as this younger generation grows up and they start getting a little bit smarter, they might say that maybe gummies don’t have enough of what  they actually want.”

A potential outcome is that consumers could be eying five or six ingredients, which they will want in a powder or capsule or tablet, he explains.

The “pill fatigue” phenomenon has already been observed, with gummy supplement NPD on the rise. 

By Andria Kades