Supplements market expands post-pandemic as holistic well-being, transparency and convenience inspire innovation

23 Jan 2023 --- The supplement market’s proliferation is being driven by mega-trends toward holistic well-being, beauty-from-within and immunity support in the aftermath of a global pandemic. Supplements offer numerous health benefits, from energy boosts and cardiovascular and digestive health support to sleep, mood and stress relief. 

Innova Market Insights found that supplement launches have doubled since 2017, with 26% average annual growth. Europe brought 40% of new products to market between 2021-2022, followed by North America (33%) and Asia (16%).

In Part One of NutritionInsights’ deep dive into supplements, we explore the category’s main drivers, innovation focuses and how brands can excel in an increasingly competitive landscape, in conversation with several leading suppliers.

Trust with transparency
Primarily, consumers are more interested in recognizable and trusted ingredients such as vitamins and minerals to gain reassurance over products’ health claims. Notably, Innova Market Insights found that the ever-popular vitamin C remains the leading ingredient in new supplements globally, included in 27% of launches (2021/22).

According to Isabel Gómez, global marketing manager at Lubrizol Life Science, building trust and transparency in product launches through established procedures remains necessary for brands to excel in the supplements space.

“Using branded science-based ingredients to validate health benefits is an excellent way to offer consumers reassurance over health claims,” she says.

Vitamin C remains the dominant ingredient in supplement launches.Innova Market Insights highlights that the most frequent claims in supplement launches in 2021/22 were immunity health (33%), followed by brain-mood health (25%). The fastest-growing claim in supplement launches is mental acuity (81%), ahead of insomnia (54%) (2017-2022).

“Brands can also build consumer trust through transparent labeling and certifications, such as USDA Organic, cGMP Certified and Gluten-Free,” adds Lior Rigler, head of global sales at Solabia-Algatech.

Collagen coming up
Although vitamins remain dominant in the supplements category, other ingredients like collagen are making waves in nutrition, fuelled by its wide range of applications and uses – including skin health, bone health and muscle and joint support.

“As more consumers begin to understand the positives of adding collagen supplements to their diet, collagen-based products are expected to become even more popular,” notes Jaume Reguant, healthcare director at Bioiberica.

“At the same time, consumers are taking a more holistic approach to their health, with many looking for products that offer multiple benefits by creating ingredient combinations.”

“Formulations that blend efficacious ingredients, like collagen, hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate with vitamins and botanicals, for instance, are increasingly making their way into consumers’ shopping baskets.”

Planetary health
However, consumer trust in the age of growing climate change fears extends beyond personal well-being to environmental sustainability.

“Manufacturers that are transparent about their production processes and use high-quality, sustainably sourced and upcycled ingredients are more likely to gain customers’ trust, and with it – market share,” notes Florencia Moreno Torres, health and nutrition global business development manager at Rousselot.

“Plus, by using products that contribute to a circular economy, brands can appeal to environmentally conscious shoppers that are becoming more concerned about food waste. By transforming nutrient-rich raw materials into high-quality, functional solutions, Rousselot makes sure none of their natural goodness goes to waste.”

Convenience is king
While the modern-day consumer requires supplements that deliver on health claims and support the natural environment, they also demand greater levels of convenience to support their busy, on-the-go lifestyles. The convenience trend is driving new innovation in quick and easy delivery formats.

“Smaller pills and capsules and tasty, convenient gummies are trending as they’re easy to consume as part of a busy daily routine,” explains Sophie Zillinger, global marketing lead for Biotis at FrieslandCampina Ingredients.Powders and capsules are the most common delivery formats for supplements (Image credit: Innova Market Insights).

Biotis GOS is a dairy-derived prebiotic shown to influence the balance of the gut microbiota for beneficial effects on gut health and mental well-being. Gut health supplements – like probiotics – are gaining prominence as science digs deeper into their potential for mental and physical well-being, including athletic performance.

Reguant at Bioiberica echoes that consumers increasingly opt for novel supplement formats beyond pills, capsules and softgels, paving the way for gummies.

“Gummy formats continue to gain market share,” he says. “They are viewed as a convenient and tasty way of taking nutrients that help to relieve pill fatigue, leading to supplements being ‘gummified,’ like those for hair, skin and nails.”

Innova Market Insights recorded 54% average annual growth in global supplement launches tracked in gummy format between 2017-2022.

In the current market, brands should focus on creating supplements that balance convenience and efficacy, advises Zillinger. “One way they can do this is by formulating with innovative and scientifically backed ingredients that provide a high dose of active ingredient to provide effective well-being support in smaller formats,” she says.

“Another emerging trend is supplement subscription services, which create a convenient and personalized experience by delivering supplement solutions to consumers’ front doors.”

The gummies game
Although functional gummies are one of the fastest-growing nutraceutical segments across Europe, North America and Asia, the development of this technology is not without its challenges.

“Center-filled functional gummies, in particular, are an excellent solution, as they combine the efficiency of liquid-filled capsules with the indulgence typically offered by gummies. However, producing center-filled functional gummies with a variety of nutrients or APIs can be efficiently and economically complex,” says Moreno Torres at Rousselot.

This complexity is where the company’s liquid-filled “gummy caps” – made possible by its SiMoGel solution – offer an advantage.

“This technology creates functional gummies with a liquid center, stabilized by a set gelatin outer shell. Since the API is contained within the liquid center, the risk of interaction with the gelatin excipient is greatly reduced, allowing for more accurate API delivery,” she explains.Gummies are a fast-expanding nutraceutical segment globally despite technological challenges.

Capsules keep crown
In the current market, powders (30%) and capsules (28%) remain the top formats for new supplement products globally (2021/22), according to Innova Market Insights.

“Capsules – the tried-and-tested favorite – still reign supreme,” says Lindsey Toth, associate director for global marketing at Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients. “Due to their versatility, capsules enable brands and supplement producers to create advanced solutions that align with convenience, swallowability and efficacy.”

Capsule-in-capsule technology is one solution that offers significant innovation and differentiation potential. With Lonza’s Capsugel DuoCap, brands can utilize liquids or powders in an inner capsule with a liquid-filled outer capsule, allowing for a myriad of unique combinations of multiple ingredients with customizable release profiles in one convenient dose.

Moreover, Lonza’s Capsugel DRcaps designed-release capsule technology with acid protection properties offers a solution to maximize efficacy by protecting sensitive ingredients – like probiotics – as they pass through the acidic stomach. 

“Liquid-filled capsules are another technology that can help to optimize the efficacy of ingredients by delivering them in their most bioavailable form, bolstering consumer satisfaction,” continues Toth. “Capsugel liquid-filled capsules combine specially designed capsules with proprietary fusion technology for a unique, leak- and clump-resistant dosage form.”Lonza has focused on capsule-in-capsule solutions for ingredient combinations and brand differentiation, like the Capsugel DuoCap pictured (Image credit: Lonza).

Bright-white after TiO2 ban
Meanwhile, color remains an important factor for consumers when it comes to choosing supplements and white has been a long-time favorite. According to Falardeau, E., Glynn, J. and Ostromecka O (2021), the color white in supplements is favored by 30% of consumers.

“Historically, TiO2 (titanium dioxide) has been used to add this bright white color to supplements, but its use came into question following the EU’s decision to ban member states from using the additive in food supplement products in 2022,” says Toth.

“Fortunately, innovators in the nutraceuticals industry have been able to achieve the ‘bright white’ color consumers are looking for without TiO2. Lonza launched a complete range of TiO2-free alternative dosage forms in 2019 ahead of the ban, including its Capsugel Vcaps Plus White Opal capsule.”

These launches were followed in 2022 by the company’s Capsugel TiO2-free White gelatin capsule, which enables brands to formulate bright-white supplements that comply with the new regulations.

In Part Two, we explore why major ingredients suppliers are expecting a wave of innovation in the supplements industry in the next five years.

By Joshua Poole