Supplements & Nutraceuticals – Page 13

U.S. Plant-Based Food Industry Sees Boost In Annual Sales to $5 Billion

in Beverages & Drinks, Consumer Packaged Goods, Food Business, Food Retail, Supplements & Nutraceuticals

The plant-based food and beverage industry is seeing a vast improvement in sales this past year. According to the retail sales data company SPINS, the total market of the plant-based industry was $5 billion in total sales last year. The executive director of Plant Based Food Association, Michele Simon, noted that that the growth of the plant-based food sector is stable and it is all thanks to the shift of consumers from animal products. In fact, the total sales of meat alternatives grew by 15.9% last year.

This is the reason why products like plant-based milk and refrigerated products have shown growth over the last few years. It seems that there is a steady increase in milk and cheese alternatives with 31.4% sales increase observed. Aside from plant-based cheeses, the market is also dominated by smaller categories of meat options like meatless jerky, mayonnaise and other types of condiments.

What Factors are Growing Plant-Based Food Sales?

So what are the factors boosting plant-based food products? One of the factors influencing sales was the bill introduced by Congress that imposed non-dairy alternatives to omit the milk, yogurt, and cheese on the label. The proper labeling has resulted in less confusion and the public embracing plant-based food choices.

But more than the proper labeling, the change was driven by health, animal, and environmental concerns. While there is still a significant number of people who eat a predominantly carnivorous diet, there is an increasing number of individuals who want to eat more plant-based foods.

The Market: Vegans, Vegetarians, and Flexitarians

This lifestyle movement has caught the attention of many leading food brands. They have incorporated plant-based products to cater to the needs of the growing population of vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians. Today, many food companies believe in the mantra that catering to the health of the customers is also essential to the health of the enterprise. But aside from people who have embraced the plant-based lifestyle, the plant-based food industry is also popular among people who follow certain strict diets such as the Paleo diet. Plant-based food products are catering to a broad spectrum of consumers.

This is the reason why companies like Daiya Foods, maker of non-dairy cheese substitutes like cheese and yogurt dominated the plant-based food industry. In fact, they sell their products in over 35,000 stores in the country and make more than $100 million in sales each year.

Many people are becoming more aware of the benefits of a plant-based diet, and they embrace it because it is not only good for the health but the environment too. Unlike other food trends, the plant-based diet will never go out of style. It is a significant shift in people’s lifestyle.

Plant-based food products are currently enjoying consumer acceptance. With the rise of the plant-based foods in the United States, consumers are finding healthier options and manufacturers are finding healthy profits.

Inspired by www.groceryheadquarters.com

Adding Vitamin D in Food Can Reduce Respiratory Infections

in Beverages & Drinks, Consumer Packaged Goods, Health & Nutrition, Supplements & Nutraceuticals

Millions of people suffer from respiratory infections every year. Respiratory infections including coughs, flu, pneumonia and bronchitis are typically caused by virus or bacteria. In the United Kingdom alone, about 3.25 million people suffer from at least one type of respiratory infection per year. Most of these infections occur during the winter months when the weather is cold, wet and dreary.

Researchers believe there is a plausible explanation why people get such infection during the winter months. Studies have shown that the occurrence of respiratory infection may also be attributed to the lack of exposure to sunlight – the leading source of Vitamin D. For the body to function properly, you need to take in at most 10,000 IU per day. Unfortunately, sun exposure can be quite difficult during the winter months.

Epidemic of Respiratory Diseases During Winter Time

Experts believe that respiratory infections can be lessened if people add more vitamin D to their diets during the winter. In fact, this will not only prevent people from incurring diseases, but it will also help NHS cut down its costs.

However, in the UK alone, there is a huge deficiency of the sunshine vitamin. Researchers from the Queen Mary University advise against fortification as it can significantly change the cost of food. Fortification may be a good idea for people who show significantly low levels of serum vitamin D.

But instead of fortification, one of the best solutions to this problem is to encourage people to bolster their Vitamin D intake through food. The problem is that food sources that are rich in vitamin D are only limited to oily fishes and shitake mushrooms. While getting vitamin D from food is important, one of the best ways to get this nutrient is to spend some time under the heat of the sun. Other options for food companies is to add natural vitamin D to food from sources like shiitake mushrooms. NutriFusion developed a stand-alone Vitamin D2 and D3 for food manufacturers to add to a variety of food without impacting flavor or texture.

Benefits of Vitamin D Against Respiratory Infections

About 70% of the population in the United Kingdom suffer from respiratory infection every year. Regularly taking vitamin D can reduce the risk of respiratory infection by 10% and reduces the need to take prescription antibiotics.

The study conducted by the researchers from the Queen Mary University places profound importance on fortification, but some authors believe that fortification should only be given to people who are at risk of developing osteomalacia that is the weakening of the bones due to low levels of vitamin D.

How does vitamin D fight against respiratory infections? Vitamin D plays a significant role in boosting the immune system. If you look at the cells of the immune system closely, they have receptors for vitamin D. Once the vitamin D adheres to the receptors thus reducing the levels of cytokines–a type of inflammatory proteins and increasing the amount of anti-microbial proteins.

Whether people take vitamin D-fortified foods or just bask in the sun as much as they can, the truth is that vitamin D can make significant improvements to the immune system resulting in a lowered risk for respiratory diseases.

Inspired by www.theguardian.com/science

Synthetic Vitamins: Necessary Or Waste Of Time?

in Food Business, Food Retail, Health & Nutrition, Supplements & Nutraceuticals

Vitamins are taken by millions of people to treat different types of deficiencies. The Australian Medical Association found in a study that seven out of ten Australians take vitamins to fight against nutrient deficiencies. In fact, there are two reasons why people take supplemental multivitamins include overall wellness and to fill in any nutritional gaps. While there is a universal belief that vitamins and supplements are necessary, some experts disagree.

Synthetic Vitamins Found Not Necessary

One of the believers that intake of vitamins is a waste of time and money is the Adjunct Associate Professor Ken Harvey from Monash University. He noted that there is too little evidence that multivitamins are effective in treating deficiencies. He also added that if there is one thing that benefits from vitamins and supplements, it is the companies that manufacture them. The vitamin and supplement industry is a billion-dollar industry, and people seem to patronize them because they market health and wellness.

The thing is that the vitamin and supplement industry make huge profits from people, but there are no scientific studies that can prove the benefits of taking in vitamins and supplements. Sadly, you are pissing your money down the drain.

No Better Than Placebo Pills

There have been multiple studies that showcased vitamins are no better than placebo pills. But while many experts now agree that vitamins are not effective, intake of high doses can also cause harm.

There is such a thing as vitamin overdose. If you take too much of one supplement, it can offset how others work or interact with your body. Several studies have noted that vitamins do not mix well. Perhaps what makes synthetic vitamins dangerous is that they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration unlike other types of medications. This makes them subject to abuse and overuse.

Food Against Nutrient Deficiency

So, if multivitamins are not useful, how can we prevent a nutrient deficiency? The answer lies in eating the right kinds of food. But if healthy food is accessible, then why are there so many people who suffer from nutrient deficiency? Unfortunately, many people have unhealthy diets even though they can easily get healthy foods. As a result, they turn to supplemental multivitamins.

Vitamin supplementation plays a vital role among Australian adults. In fact, 52% of adults rely on supplements. This 52% of the population are the ones who do not meet the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. NutriFusion developed the GrandFusion vitamin blends to help food companies add back the food based nutrition to a variety of products that we already eat. NutriFusion is launching a new product to market for end consumers that utilize the GrandFusion 12 fruit and vegetable blend to deliver 50% daily value of 12 vitamins. Visit the website to learn more: https://grandfusion.co/

If you follow a varied diet and are eating fruits and vegetables, then you should get all the vitamins from your food. The benefit of taking food to combat nutrient gap is that there is no overdosing from eating foods. Moreover, the food that you eat is processed by the body using natural pathways. Thus, every bit of the nutrients are accounted for and does not react with other nutrients in the body.

Inspired by www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle

Shoppers Willing To Spend Extra For Ingredients They Recognize

in Beverages & Drinks, Consumer Packaged Goods, Food Business, Supplements & Nutraceuticals

Most shoppers today are more aware of the food and beverage products they buy. They opt for products made from organic and natural ingredients, and they value the transparency of product labels more than ever before.

In a recent survey conducted by Ingredients Communications, it revealed that 52% consumers are willing to spend 10% more on food products that contain ingredients they trust and recognize. The survey interviewed 1,300 consumers from North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The survey also noted that 18% of the respondents are willing to pay more than 10% for reliable brands.

Consumers from the United States are the ones most prepared to pay extra to 44% of the respondents responding yes. This is followed by shoppers from the Asia-Pacific including the Philippines (29%) and Malaysia (26%) indicating that Asia is an emerging market for food companies who want to improve their transparency and recognizability of the ingredients they use.

Co-Branding Allows Shoppers to Recognize Reliable Products Easily

So, what does this survey imply? It simply points to the importance of having clean labeling on food and beverage products. Consumers are becoming aware that many food companies are now using synthetic or artificial ingredients to make their products. These ingredients are now known to cause negative side effects to the body. The movement of going back to basics which include buying products made from all natural ingredients is becoming popular. Food manufacturers are using this movement to their advantage by rebranding their products and co-branding with their suppliers.

Co-branding has become hugely popular in the clean labeling movement. According to the director of Ingredient Communications, Richard Clarke, co-branding has been used in the tech industry to sell products like laptops. If the food industry uses it, it will be easier for the consumers to know which brands to trust because they have partnered with other reliable brands and ingredient suppliers. This will result in higher spending, repeat purchase, and stronger loyalty to the company.

While co-branding is a great way for shoppers to easily recognize the ingredients and brand of the product that they want to buy, it may lead to higher prices. This leaves food companies to shop around from among its co-branded suppliers to find ingredients that are also cheaper. Successful branding is still resulting in more revenues because shoppers are willing to pay more for products that are made from familiar ingredients.

Shoppers Make Informed Decisions When Shopping

While co-branding is a great strategy to make ingredients more recognizable to the consumers by partnering with equally reliable companies, there are other factors that influence the product choices and decisions of consumers. Today, many consumers are very critical about the decisions that they make when it comes to buying different types of products. With their savvy abilities and increasing awareness, they are able to recognize which ingredients are good and which ones are not. The ability to distinguish the good from the bad ingredients make consumers want to pay more.

Inspired by www.groceryheadquarters.com

Private Label Innovation: Connecting To Millennials

in Beverages & Drinks, Consumer Packaged Goods, Food Business, Supplements & Nutraceuticals

Private label brands are manufactured by a particular company under another company’s brands. Over the past few years, private labels have seen a growth in market share. In fact, during the Private Label Manufacturer Association show last year in Chicago, the association indicated that the business continues to grow by 5%.

Private labels are available in different types of industries from cosmetics to food. They are mostly lower cost alternatives to other types of brands. Nielsen noted that the store sales of private labels are estimated to be at $120 billion. Private label company giants like Aldi and Save-A-Lot have catered to retail store companies like Trader Joes and Whole Foods. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, most consumers tend to patronize private label brands because they are cheaper than others.

Why Private Label Is Innovating

The popularity of private labels has presented opportunities to manufacturers of major brands to create products that appeal to private label shoppers. For example, Hormel Foods is launching its latest commercial retail team to help partners grow their private label strategies.

Private labels also need to take a step further to meet the demands of their customers. Private label brands are also venturing into healthier products. For instance, Ohio-based SmithFoods have started producing almond milk aside from traditionally manufacturing milk and other dairy products. On the other hand, Perrysburg from Ohio manufactures not only private label frozen pizza and snacks but also “better for you” products with organic and gluten-free ingredients.

Millennials Are The Future Consumers

Neil Stern, a senior partner from McMillanDoolittle, noted that most food retailers in the United States are updating their private label offerings to meet the demands of their customers. For now, these private label brands are focusing on producing organic and natural products.

The direction towards healthier options is being driven by younger consumers in the market. Younger or millennial shoppers are now warming up to startup brands especially those that offer healthier choices. Millennials are considered the most aggressive of all types of consumers.

In a recent survey conducted by the PLMA, millennials agreed that they have the knack to try food created in different ways. Meaning that they opt for healthier options that are prepared in the most sustainable way. Their food choices have also reflected their eating habits. However, Millennials do not like to spend an exorbitant amount of money to buy their food. According to the same survey, 75% of millennials tend to shop in the supermarket, where bakery goods and dairy items top their list.

With this data, supermarkets can experience big payoffs by innovating their private labels to meet the eating habits of Millennials. Store brands have the opportunity to compete with the well-recognized national brands and in some cases, win.

Inspired by www.foodbusinessnews.net

Mintel’s 2017 Global Food and Drink Industry Trends

in Animal Nutrition, Beverages & Drinks, Consumer Packaged Goods, Food Business, Health & Nutrition, Supplements & Nutraceuticals

Now that 2016 is over, it’s time to look at the food and beverage trends shaping up to make an impact in 2017. Mintel recently announced the top six trends that they believe will see fast growth this year. Check out their predictions below!

1. Traditional Processing

While our food today is made using modern processing, many people are now opting for foods made by conventional processing techniques. Companies are looking at using age-old formulation as well as classic flavors. People tend to view these foods as safe, reliable, and recognizable. This trend can be attributed to the recent rise of ancient recipes, cooking practices, and traditions that have resurfaced to incite the feeling of familiarity in the kitchen and food.

2. Plant-Based Formulation

Plant-based diets are becoming more popular, and Mintel expects this to be a huge area for growth in the industry. As a result, the food and drink industry is developing more products that emphasize using plant-based ingredients. This trend will not only be perfect for vegans and vegetarians but also flexitarians. We predict there will be an increased consumption of vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, grains and other botanical products.

3. Zero Food Waste

The year 2017 will be the year of the environment. But how does that relate to food? The answer is zero food waste. Today, many food manufacturers and restaurant owners want to address the growing problem of food waste. There will be an increasing awareness among people to use “ugly” produce as well as repurposing food ingredients to avoid wastage.

4. Night Shift Market

In today’s fast-paced life, many people have to work at night when we are all asleep. This lifestyle creates a new market niche for food manufacturers. Companies are developing products that are solely dedicated to nighttime workers as well as those who stay up late at night. Products such as teas made from lavender and chamomile are now introduced to night owls so that they can relax better just before their bedtime.

5. Healthy Food for Everyone

In the past years, only people from the higher income brackets could afford to eat healthily. Fortunately, 2017 will be the year when even lower-income consumers can afford to eat healthily. 2016 helped drive this change with companies like Annie’s leading the Everybunny campaign and other organizations lobbying for subsidized fruits and vegetables to keep prices low.

6. Convenient Healthy Foods

Convenience has been driving change in food for over 30 years, but the new opportunity is in creating fast, healthy foods. People want to eat food conveniently so many food and drink manufacturers are developing new ways to deliver their products faster without compromising the taste and nutritional content.

If you have noticed, the trends of 2017 revolve around the idea of eating convenient, healthy, and reliable foods. It’s not that surprising if you’ve watched the market over the past few years. It will be interesting to see which companies take advantage of these growth opportunities in 2017 and beyond.

Inspired by www.mintel.com

Nutritional Sprays: A New Mode of Delivery for Supplements

in Health & Nutrition, Supplements & Nutraceuticals

Pharmaceutical and supplement companies are constantly looking for ways to make it easier to deliver drugs and supplements to the body. Currently, the most common delivery system is pills and capsules which go through the oral route.

However, innovations are making it possible for people to see new changes in the scene of pharmaceutics. Gone will be the days when people only rely on pills and capsule supplements. A French company, Erbalab, is banking on the idea of nutritional sprays as an alternative way to deliver nutrition to the body. Headed by Nicolas Brodetsky, the company has launched 16 sprays that use airless pump bottles similar to those utilized in the cosmetic industry. The company is developing different products including herbal extracts to improve overall well-being.

What Is a Sublingual Spray Nutrition?

As the name implies, the sublingual spray nutritional spray is made from herbal extracts and is delivered through a sublingual format which is placed at the base or back of the tongue. The extracts are kept inside a specialized spray bottle that comes with a mister so that the back of the tongue can be easily targeted.

The tongue has hundreds of capillaries. Thus the nutrition can be quickly taken up directly by the tiny blood vessels. Unlike traditional pills and capsules, the oral nutritional sprays contain potent mixtures of herbal extracts. Users only need to spray a small amount to get the results. The oral nutritional spray is equivalent to taking ten pills or capsules, which makes it very convenient.

Why the Sublingual Route?

The company emphasizes on the sublingual delivery of the oral nutritional spray. Many pharmaceutical experts view sublingual delivery as a promising alternative to the traditional capsule route. In a study conducted by researchers from India’s Kurukshetra University in 2011, it has been noted that this mode of delivery is useful for people who have problems with swallowing, such as the children and the elderly.

The rapid release of the active compounds directly into the bloodstream also promotes immediate effects. Conventional pills that are delivered through the oral route need to be broken down by the stomach acids then transported to the small intestines where the active ingredients will be slowly reabsorbed by the body. Because there are a lot of reactions involved, the potency of the pills are typically reduced in half. With a sublingual delivery system, the supplements can take effect within 10 to 15 minutes.

Benefits of The Sublingual Nutritional Sprays

Many consumers associate pills and nutrients as drugs even if they are just supplements. This negative connotation makes taking pills and capsules highly unattractive to many patients. When customers brand pills and capsules as “pharma,” they get two perceptions: (1) the products are more effective or (2) they may cause a lot of side effects. With sublingual nutritional sprays, people will not associate them with drugs at all. The fear of medicine and pharma solutions are then lessened.

Nutritional sublingual sprays look very promising. It will be interesting to see how they are applied in medicines and nutrition in the future.

Source: www.nutraingredients.com

Vegetable Powders: A Game Changer in The Healthy Food Movement

in Animal Nutrition, Beverages & Drinks, Consumer Packaged Goods, Food Business, Supplements & Nutraceuticals

The whole food movement has increased people’s consumption of fruits and vegetables. This trend has also led food producers to offer fruit and vegetable powders that are used to flavor and enhance food and beverages. Dehydrated vegetable and fruit powders are more practical than their fresh counterparts for food manufacturing. They have a longer shelf life and some powders like NutriFusion are packed with essential vitamins and minerals.
While powders are high in demand, the problem is that most of them exist with bland flavors and washed out colors. This is caused by poor extraction, processing, and storage. The developing food powder industry uses different drying techniques to produce vibrant fruit and vegetable powders.

Sensient Natural Ingredients, a company in Turlock in California, manufactures fruit and vegetable powders. They use methods like air, vacuum, and freeze drying. The drying technique employed depends on the types of ingredients used. For instance, air drying is utilized to dry herbs while vacuum drying is used to retain more nutrients from the dried food.

Challenges in Making Whole Food Powders

Drying fruits and vegetables is not a walk in the park. Several types of fresh fruit and vegetables can be powdered, and manufacturers face a few obstacles. For instance, high sugary foods are difficult to process because they stick to everything. Moreover, the sugar found in sweet fruits can be difficult to deal with in high-temperature drying because they burn even from the start. Drying leafy greens and herbs are also very delicate to handle and are more at risk to spoilage or decay.

The problems encountered during the drying process drive manufacturers to optimize their harvest timing by processing the materials within a short yet specified time frame to prevent spoilage and decay. They also use technology like infrared light to kill pathogens and preserve colors, nutrients, and texture.

The Future of Fruit and Vegetable Powders

Over the next ten years, we will see a lot of fruits and vegetables turned into powder for nutrition, flavor, and texture in our packaged foods. One of the reasons why this trend will continue to flourish is because of the convenience. Whole foodpowders like NutriFusion tend to last for a long time without losing their nutritional value. They can be used in augmenting the nutrient content of the food that you are cooking or can be utilized as emergency food.

Astronauts will not be the only ones to benefit from powdered fruits and vegetables. The industry is already buzzing with wild dried fruits and vegetables like powdered coconut water, watermelon juice powder, tart cherry, and shiitake mushroom powder. NutriFusion separates itself from the pack by delivering blends of fresh fruit and veggies for optimal nutrition content. In many of our blends, you will find apple, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, shiitake mushroom, broccoli, tomato, carrot, orange, spinach, beet, and strawberry. The combination of those fruits and vegetables can deliver up to 12 different plant-based vitamins for food and beverage brands.

Food manufacturers also see an increasing trend in superfoods being turned to powder. Ingredients like acai berry, Camu Camu, cranberry, goji berry, and acerola will be mainstream in the future. The challenge here for food scientists is how to maintain a high ORAC value (an indicator of antioxidant capacity) despite the drying process.

Source: http://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/suppliers/features-suppliers/powder-play/