HNC and Hi & Fi Asia-China: Cognition-boosting supplements for kids take center stage

24 Jun 2024 --- Nutraceutical companies featured innovations designed for children at the Healthplex & Nutraceutical China (HNC) trade show, co-located with Hi & Fi Asia-China (June 19 to 21, 2024) in Shanghai. Enhancing cognition, memory and overall brain health are popular categories in China, where academic performance is highly competitive.

On the show floor, Nutrition Insight taps into the Chinese market and developments in kids’ supplements with Stew Wilson, the business development manager of China for Vitabiotics. This UK-based supplement company has been selling its products in the country since 2013 through distributors and directly since 2016 on Tmall, an e-commerce behemoth owned by Alibaba. 

“Parents are keen to provide their kids with supplements that support their brain health and brain development, especially during the early stages of life,” he says.  

Stew Wilson, the business development manager of China for Vitabiotics.For example, Wilson details that Vitabiotics’ algae-based, chewable omega-3 supplement is a top seller in China. 

“Traditionally, it’s very good for brain development or cognitive function. And you know how it is in China — everybody is focused on studying and getting into the best school or university, and any advantage can help.” 

He notes that omega-3 or fish oil supplements are also popular “because it’s hard to get through a diet alone unless you eat fatty fish daily. Many parents supplement omega-3 (EPA, DHA) with their kids.” 

Boosting kids’ cognition
A host of companies spotlighted ingredients that can help boost brain function in children. Prinova presented a recipe prototype positioned to improve concentration. The formula suggestion contains phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine as key active ingredients. It also contains CoQ10, inositol and a mix of vitamins and minerals.

Maiggic, the nutraceuticals division of Angel Yeast, also highlighted the ingredient PS as a solution to boost cognitive function in both children and older consumers. PS falls under the category of phospholipids and plays a role in maintaining and repairing nerve cells, says the company. The ingredient has been approved by the US FDA and the European Food Safety Authority for improving cognitive function, reports Maiggic. 

Novonesis, meanwhile, is launching SmartGuard exclusively in the Chinese market to protect brain health rather than “boost” it. It is a Lactiplantibacillus plantarum probiotic strain developed to limit daily lead absorption in children’s intestines. Jakob Dalmose Rasmussen, VP of Human Health Biosolutions at Novonesis, describes it as “the first probiotic to protect the body in terms of environmental impact.”

Jakob Dalmose Rasmussen discusses Novonesis’ strategy for the Chinese supplements market.Novonesis’ SmartGuard aims to limit daily lead build-up by removing ingested lead from the gastrointestinal tract. For children ages 0 to 7 years in China, the estimated daily lead exposure through diet is 12.01 to 15.56 μg lead/day. A daily dose of 1 billion CFU of SmartGuard can bind 150 μg of lead in vitro, corresponding to about ten times the estimated daily lead exposure.

At the same time, IFF spotlighted a Brain-Jet concept using its Neuravena green oat extract. The solution is positioned to work within one hour and is designed to enhance learning, work, e-gaming or other daily activities. While not targeted to young children, it aims to help adults “boost efficiency at work and in educational settings.”

Other health-boosting nutrients for children 
Wilson highlights that the company’s liquid calcium product is another top-selling supplement for children in China. In the Chinese diet, people don’t typically eat many dairy products. 

“Parents will use our calcium supplements with their children to ensure that, as they’re growing up, they’re still getting the right nutrition to support healthy bone development, growth, teeth, skin, everything.” 

“We provide for infants as well,” he continues. “Our specialty in the UK is pregnancy products. In the UK, most mothers who take vitamins take our pregnancy range, the Pregnacare series. Off the back of that, once the baby is born, we have a lot of credit and products that service new moms.” 

Wilson speculates that when parents give vitamin supplements to their children, it will be primarily for newborn babies and in a child’s first few years when they are most vulnerable. 

“You need to ensure they’re getting the right nutrition. We have a WellBaby range for infants in different formats; we’ve got drops and liquids.”  

Live streaming is a massive cultural consumer force in the Chinese nutraceuticals market.He also notes that vitamin D supplementation is recommended for infants in the UK. The country’s National Health Service states that vitamin D deficiency is “very common in the UK” due to diet, lifestyle, weather and the country’s northern latitude.

Meanwhile, Wilson also expects Chinese consumers to face a vitamin D deficiency as they “want to have lighter skin, so they stay out of the sun.”

“But you need it — it keeps you healthy. It’s good to supplement vitamin D, especially for younger children.” 

Functional beverages are also making their way into children’s hands in China. The China-based food and nutraceutical brand Damin recently released a functional beverage for children containing antioxidants, which, according to the company, “are healthy at any stage of life.” The Australian brand Coco Mum came out with a lactoferrin beverage for young children. 

Connecting with consumers
Wilson says that live streaming is a much more important consumer interface in China than in Europe and North America. He notes that it is also much more developed. 

“When we think of live streaming in the West, we think of an athlete or a singer jumping on Instagram Live, chatting with fans for a bit and then turning it off. But in China, live streaming is a massive cultural consumer force where influencers jump on a live stream and sell products to their fans for hours at a time.” 

Wilson also underscores that it is crucial to develop good relationships with live streamers. At the Vitabiotics stand at the show, the company runs a live stream from morning till the exhibition closes. “Then, likely, the live streamers will return to their hotel room and keep streaming for another few hours,” he adds. 

“The downside of live streaming is that commissions are very high; it encourages you to discount your products. In China, at the moment, the economy isn’t as robust and improving every year as it was during the 2010s. Consumers are typically looking for lower priced products, and live streaming is a good medium to get lower priced products if you’re a consumer.” 

Looking to the future, Wilson sees a greater need to develop product ranges aimed toward senior citizens. “We need to pivot slightly and start pushing products toward an older demographic because elderly people will become more prevalent in China over the coming years.”

By Jolanda van Hal, with additional reporting by Missy Green from the show floor of HNC and Hi & Fi Asia-China in Shanghai