The less-sweet side of gummy nutraceuticals and the rise of direct sticks

16 May 2022 --- Consumers are craving flavorful convenience in the next generation of nutraceuticals. Formats offering confectionery crossovers and single-doses without water are proliferating. But these come with challenges and pain points too, including the burgeoning gummy market – a craze that has recently migrated from the US to overseas.

NutritionInsight speaks with a host of suppliers from the show floor of Vitafoods, which took place May 10 to 12 in Geneva, on how they are addressing new product formats.

“Everybody wants gummies right now. But personally, I think it’s just a fad,” says Tyler Ris, vice president of sales for the US at standardized botanical supplier BIONAP.

“You lose a lot of the ingredients when you manufacture gummies – either by putting them through heat or by adding more ingredients to make the gummy itself.”

On the other hand, some heat-stable ingredients are naturally effective at low doses.

AstaReal presented its astaxanthin biomass ingredient in plant-based gummies based on modified starch, which the company says is perfectly suitable for gummy applications.

“You can have 2 mg per gummy. So if you take two to four per day you will get the right dose. It’s half the amount you’d find in capsules (where one to two are required), but they are very tasty – so it’s not a problem,” says Pernilla Berg, R&D manager at AstaReal. 

Meanwhile, Israel-based Solabia Algatech also presented its astaxanthin in gummy format, jumping onto the trend.

Solabia Algatech’s gummy prototype with astaxanthin is cherry flavored and vegan.A question of the right ingredients? 
Ris highlights that there is also the problem of too much sugar in gummies. “I saw one company pair melatonin with 5 g of sugar. That’s counterintuitive for a supplement meant to put you to sleep.”

Nevertheless, BIONAP showcased gummy samples at Vitafoods. “People love them, so we’ve produced some for attendees to see what the capabilities are.” 

Meanwhile, Slovenia-based private-label supplement brand PharmaLinea has decidedly not invested in gummy formulation development. 

Keeping a strong focus on clinically backed, branded ingredients, Matevž Ambrožič, the company’s marketing and PR director suggests that gummies tend to feature more commodity-based ingredients and have their place within a certain demographic. 

“Gummies are typically seen in lifestyle products – not those that would be promoted through medical detailing or to pharmacists. We intentionally want to be closer to pharma,” he says. 

Ambrožič also states that some consumers may prefer to draw a firm line between confectionery and nutraceuticals. "We see that some parents don’t want their children to associate gummies with good health. They want to present sources of vitamins in a different way.”

Limited gummy resources
Another sour aspect to the gummy market is the logistical bottleneck brought about by the sudden spike in demand. “There are only one or two players in the US market for gummies and they won’t take any more clients. All of my [US] customers are outsourcing to Europe for manufacturing.”

One supplement brand based in Florida recently outsourced its gummy manufacturing to Canada, says Ris. “To me, it makes zero sense to outsource abroad when the US could do it. There is a huge opportunity for gummy manufacturing in the US market.”

But for the time being, high demand has resulted in high prices. And while just about everything has become more expensive in recent months, Ris says that producing gummies has become “really expensive.”

It takes a lot of know-how to make gummies properly, to make it taste good, look good and to put in enough of an ingredient for a meaningful dose, he concedes.

Taste is paramount in gummies. Kerry showcased its taste technology with an omega 3 ingredient from fish or algae in an orange gummy.Flavor is essential
Taste is one of the top considerations for switching from a swallowable format to one that’s experienced on the consumers’ tongue. 

Ingredients like omega 3s from fish or algae are especially unpalatable and require expertise to formulate into functional foods or confectionery. On the show floor, Kerry demonstrated its taste technology with orange gummies fortified with its Eupoly-3 omega 3 ingredient. 

Taste can also be a challenge for botanical ingredients, which may require flavor maskers or other bold tastes. This year at Vitafoods, the standardized botanical ingredient supplier Nektium showcased the versatility of ingredients like its standardized rhodiola ingredient Rhodiolife in gummy format. 

“We used cherry as a flavor masker in our prototype gummies and the response has been good. People are happy with it,” says Deborah Thoma, marketing manager at Nektium. 

Last year, the company showcased its ingredients in direct stick format, another growing trend. 

No water required 
According to PharmaLinea’s Ambrožič, the direct stick market is one of the most promising in Europe. Building off market research, the company expanded its >Your< Iron and >Your< UTI line to include stick formats.

“Some of the fastest-growing SKUs within iron, UTI and other categories, are within direct sticks, whether these are liquid or orodispersible powders.”

“Consumers seem to really like this format: it’s to-go, handy, provides for a good user experience and has a clear dosage.” 

ADM also showcased fast melt powder sticks, new to its portfolio following the acquisition of Deerland Probiotics at the end of last year.

“Fast melt powder means you can put them directly on your tongue and it dissolves immediately. You don’t have to put it in water. It’s very convenient,” says Marie-Bénédicte Charpentier, director of marketing and growth, EMEAI marketing of ADM Nutrition – Health and Wellness. 

The flavor and nutrition company highlighted four types of health benefits using the fast melt sticks, including immunity, digestive health, women’s health and overall health.

Downsides of sticks?
However, the stick format poses its own formulation challenges, particularly for ingredients like iron in the case of PharmaLinea, says Ambrožič.

“The development is quite challenging because you’re taking all these active ingredients in a very concentrated amount. You feel and taste everything so it’s much more difficult to conceal the metallic and excipient taste without making it too sweet.” 

The single-dose format also results in more packaging waste and recyclable formats are still in development. 

By Missy Green