Stepping into 2020, we continue to see the expansion in global dietary supplement market size. According to Market Watch, the global dietary supplements market valued at USD 132 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach USD 278 billion by the year 2024.1
Several factors play a part in this tremendous rise in market value. The increased consumer awareness on preventive healthcare, the growing prevalence of chronic illnesses, and the escalating number of the ageing population with high-income as well as improved literacy rate are all believed to impact the current dietary supplement industry.
Here, we compile several trends that have been flourished in recent years and make a bold prediction that these trends will continue to shape the industry in 2020 as well as the years to come.
- Clean-label
With no official definition established for the term ‘clean-label’, it generally refers to products with simple ingredient names, use of only high-quality natural ingredients, and is free from GMOs (genetically modified organisms), allergens or synthetic components.
Nowadays, consumers pay more attention to the food they are taking and preferred food with simple and familiar ingredients. The same perspective applied when comes to dietary supplements. Naturally-derived ingredients, plant-based or vegetable-based products are gaining more attention from the consumers. Besides, the plant-based product has an added strong point if the ingredient used is organically grown and proved to be free from GMOs.
The use of additives such as binders which serve a purpose to hold ingredients together to form a desired ‘shape’ (usually in tablet), artificial colouring and flavouring agents to make product looks appealing and enhances taste are not uncommon in the dietary supplement industry. Thus, the elimination of these ‘extra’ ingredients in a formulation is crucial to achieving a clean-label product for modern health-conscious consumers.
- Transparency
As labels become cleaner and simpler, the focus point of consumers will slowly switch to the quality of supplements, how’s the ingredient sourced, information on the product manufacturing and trial tests conducted to ensure product’s efficacy and safety. Hence, the capability of the dietary supplement industry in practising transparency and traceability play a vital role in this context.
Transparency is the extent to which company being honest and open in issues related to ingredient quality and business operation. In the dietary supplement industry, this may include providing information on the source of ingredients, product formulators, product development status from studying of product formulation to the stage of conducting product trial test on subjects to support its efficacy and safety use among consumers.
Some companies also adopted traceability as their approach to transparency. For example, using a platform that enables consumers to look up product information via codes or ID numbers printed on each product packaging.
- Sustainability
Sustainable diets are defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as “those diets with low environmental impacts that contribute to food and nutrition security and healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable, nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy while optimizing natural and human resources.”2
In dietary supplement industry, sustainability of a product can be started from sourcing of organic ingredients and opts for ingredients produced in an area that are away from environmental pollution till the processing of a product without any use of chemicals and eventually to the use of recycled/eco-friendly packaging in fulfilling consumers’ demand of ‘greener’ products.
Increasing concerns about the impact of non-eco-friendly products on mother earth may play a part in urging some manufacturers to look into ways in producing more sustainable dietary supplements. Despite challenges are lying ahead such as the safety precautions on the use of recycled packaging in products’ quality assurance and higher costs incurred for investing in technology to maintain products’ quality, it is undeniably only a matter of time before dietary supplements industry bombarded the market with more environmentally friendly products.
- Personalised Nutrition
There’s no denying that we are living in an era where personalisation is a trend that can be seen in every aspect of our lives. From customisation of skincare/beauty products, artificial intelligence-oriented digital devices for tracking or safety purposes and up to the profound study of how genes and nutrients could positively or negatively influence one’s health. Unsurprisingly, dozens of dietary supplement companies have embraced the prevailing trend by tailor-making supplements targeted for each consumer according to their health status or concerns.
Personalised nutrition companies started with data collection via survey, questionnaire or quiz to gather information such as current activity level, diet, goals, lifestyle and values. The subscribers will receive personalised recommendation and tailor-made supplements from healthcare experts/nutritionists based on their needs and health concerns or they may simply go for the quicker way by building their pack of essential vitamins based on the area of health they wish to improve (examples: cardiovascular disease, digestive health, immune enhancement, etc). The vitamins/supplements will be organised into a time of day and deliver once a month to their doorstep. The convenience and hassle-free option of personalised supplements are indeed a favourable option for consumers with a busy lifestyle.
Trends may come and go
It’s challenging for brand owners to keep up with all of the ever-changing consumer trends. Thus, it is crucial for a brand to uphold the fundamental rule of providing a quality, safe and effective products for consumers and lead them towards a healthier and better quality of life.
In Nourished, we strive to do our best in the sourcing of high-quality ingredients and collaborate with reliable manufacturers that have myriad of experiences in producing health food and dietary supplements.
We prioritize the safety of an ingredient by ensuring it is tested free from microbial contamination and heavy metals as well as free from any ‘unwanted’ ingredients/excipients with complicated names. Safety also means the ingredient has to be what it says it is and we ensure to provide what you wanted instead of what we think you needed in a ready pre-mixed form.
Instead of relying on hearsay, we dig deep into the scientific literature and research studies from creditable sources such as Google Scholar and PubMed that are easily accessible and let it tells the positive ingredient’s story to our consumers.
References:
- Market Watch. Global Dietary Supplements Market: Business Analysis, Scope, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, Demand, Overview, Forecast 2024 [press release] (2019 Aug 29) [cited 2020 Feb 27]. Available from: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/global-dietary-supplements-market-business-analysis-scope-size-share-growth-trends-demand-overview-forecast-2024-2019-08-29
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Sustainable diets and biodiversity: directions and solutions for policy, research and action. Rome, Italy: FAO and Bioversity International; 2012.