Vitafoods Asia 2015: Platform of Choice for Innovation & Trend Spotting
14 Jul 2015 --- The notion of “food as medicine” is increasingly prevalent across the globe, as consumers become more aware of the role their diets may play in the management or treatment of chronic diseases.
According to Nielsen, roughly 75% of 30,000 respondents across 60 countries believe that they “are what they eat” and nearly 80% of them actively using foods to forestall health issues and medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.
Against this backdrop, Vitafoods Asia – the only event dedicated to the nutraceutical, functional food and beverages, and dietary supplement industries in Asia – returns to Hong Kong from 2 – 3 September 2015 at the AsiaWorld-Expo, featuring over 170 international exhibiting companies who will present their latest ingredients and raw materials to upwards of 3,000 visitors from across the region.
As consumers turn to functional food and beverages as a solution to health problems, and use dietary supplements in an unprecedented way, Vitafoods Asia is well poised to address the needs of the nutraceutical market. Noting his observations of industry growth, Mr Chris Lee, Portfolio Director of Vitafoods Events, remarked, “The research affirms what we’ve seen and experienced to date, that the nutraceutical, functional food and beverages, and dietary supplement industries are indeed gaining traction internationally.
"Our event serves the Asia Pacific segment of the global market, where growth is the most dominant both in terms of rate and share. The compelling focus on innovation sets the tone for a strong business platform at Vitafoods Asia, where one can expect to gather new insights, uncover product innovations, and to catch up on regulatory changes – all in one convenient location.”
Now into its fifth edition, Vitafoods Asia has established itself as a specialised trade event that showcases the industry’s latest ingredients, technologies, services, and finished products.
One such innovation is a product by global bioscience giant Chr. Hansen. Mother’s 1st, a solution for pregnant and lactating women, is the first soft gel formulation that can sustain live probiotics for up to two years. The product is based on the company’s patent-pending LIFE GEL® technology, which combines probiotics and Omega-3 in the popular soft gel dosage form.
Also, Taiwan-based Pacific Deep Ocean Biotech debuts its ‘Deep Ocean Minerals (DOM®)’ liquid concentrate and powder at the show. Extracted from deep ocean water that is siphoned from the Pacific Ocean at depths of over 600m, DOM® is known to combat fatigue, enhance sports performance, and improve metabolism, making it a key ingredient in sports drinks, energy drinks, and nutraceutical products.
In addition, Belgian parapharmaceutical company, Eubage Health Innovation, introduces a unique enzymatic complex, Catalyst C89, to Vitafoods Asia 2015. Specific for nutrition, Catalyst C89 increases the bioavailability of nutrients in food supplement formulations, allowing manufacturers to boost the efficacy of their products.
Trend spotting, Learning & Networking Opportunities
Themes of weight management, healthy ageing, and beauty remain strong at the exhibition this year, evident in the ever-popular New Products Zone, which zooms in on ingredients and products that have been launched in the last 12 months. Examples include an energy-boosting functional bread for the elderly, supplements to relieve menopausal symptoms, sight-improving and joint health supplements, a pomegranate nano-extract for anti-ageing and skin whitening, a weight-control supplement with rosehip extract, as well as a mulberry leaf extract suitable for weight loss, glycation, anti-ageing, and skin whitening.
Riding the trend of weight management is Australia-based Punish Natural Nutrition, which specialises in health and sports supplements of all-natural sources. Punish focuses solely on the area of weight management, bringing three of its ‘Skinny Bitch’ products to the show: a fat-burning, metabolism-boosting energy drink, weight loss capsules, and high protein meal replacement bars.
Also new for 2015 is the inclusion of a GOED Omega-3 Pavilion, developed in partnership with the Omega-3 experts at Global Organisation for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED). The Pavilion features the latest innovation and product development across all aspects of the Omega-3 value chain, including sustainable sourcing of raw materials, formulation technology, odour masking techniques, and encapsulation solutions. Attendees will have access to presentations on hot topics like next-generation forms of Omega-3, plus the ‘Opportunities and Challenges of Omega-3s in Asia’.
Apart from gathering industry developments, attendees also have the opportunity to learn from and connect with industry experts via theGlobal Market Theatre, a new series of complimentary sessions presented as how-to-guides for business expansion and successful market entry strategies into China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Europe and the US.
Global Market Theatre Session Timings
Wednesday, 2 September 2015
1. Focus on Indonesia
1030-1100: Market trends, directions and future opportunities in Indonesia
1115-1145: Functional Food and Health Supplement Regulations in Indonesia
2. Focus on China
1200-1420: Market trends, directions and future opportunities in China
1430-1500: Overview of health food regulations in China
3. Focus on Europe
1530-1600: Market trends, directions and future opportunities in Europe
Thursday, 3 September 2015
4. Focus on Malaysia
1030-1100: Market trends, directions and future opportunities in Malaysia
1130-1200: Functional Food and Health Supplement Regulations in Malaysia
5. Focus on Japan
1230-1300: Market trends, directions and future opportunities in Japan
1330-1400: Functional Food and Health Supplement Regulations in Japan
6. Focus on The United States
1430-1500: Market trends, directions and future opportunities in the United States
1530-1600: Selling dietary supplements in the US: An FDA regulatory overview
Presented by experts from organisations like EAS Strategies (Singapore), BrandHive (USA), and NSF International (USA), these sessions will benefit attendees looking to explore market entry or to improve their understanding of business opportunities, especially since significant changes surrounding regulatory frameworks are expected in the near future.
Lee concluded, “Across the exhibition and conference, we are providing key information to help exhibitors and visitors do business, see innovation, and understand what it can mean to their business. I’m excited about the variety of new elements that we’re pushing out this year, as well as how innovation-led the exhibition has become. We look forward to welcoming even more quality visitors to Vitafoods Asia in a couple of months.”
For more information on the definitive exhibition for the nutraceutical, functional food and beverages, and dietary supplement industries, please visit www.vitafoodsasia.com.
