22 NUTRITION INSIGHT JULY/AUGUST 2016

MAI NYGAARD, ROUSSELOT GLOBAL DIRECTOR, PEPTAN

On nutritional trends and personalized nutrition...

“Increasing consumer awareness of the importance of nutrition in their over-all health and well-being has been one of the main drivers of today’s nutraceu-tical industry. No longer charmed by the ingredient in vogue claiming to de-liver unspecified, vague health benefits, consumers are now looking for supple-ments that have been substantiated by scientific and clinical studies to deliver a range of health benefits. Furthermore,

consumers of all ages are taking a more holistic approach to nutrition and exer-cise. Looking and feeling good is top priority and supplements that can offer multiple benefits to the overall well-being are the ideal solution in today’s market. In particular, the aging popula-tion is driving the need for proven sup-plements that can help improve their overall health & wellness. Maintaining optimal fitness and health is also en-couraged by governments to reduce pressure on health insurance and public health bodies, who are trying to educate the wider public towards a more pre-ventative approach to healthcare.

Another major trend is convenience. Providing an immediate source of nutri-tion in an easy delivery format, versatil-ity and convenience remain key factors to attract consumer attention. The de-mand for healthier, on the go products that suit the busy lifestyle of today’s consumers is set to grow in the next few years, with the expansion of bite-size portions and products targeted to spe-cific audiences, such as baby boomers or millennials.

Keeping healthy for as long as pos-sible is more important than ever, with consumers of all ages becoming more proactive in taking control of their well-being through balanced nutrition and exercise.

Brand marketers have an opportunity to tap into this growing demand by for-mulating nutritional solutions that can address multiple mobility needs. Wide-ly known for their ability to support the musculoskeletal system, collagen pep-tides present a proven solution for to-day’s mobility supplements.” ❚

Functionals to Meet

Healthy Living Needs Key suppliers offer their thoughts on the trends that will drive the nutritionals market forward.

What has the rise of the “healthy living” trend and more holistic approach had on the nutrition industry?

❯ OPINION EDGE

DAGMAR ORTLEPP, GLANBIA NUTRITIONALS, MARKETING MANAGER

On all natural claims in the nutritionals space...

“The all natural trend is still dominat-ing the supplement landscape as the be-lief in the superior benefit of ingredients from natural sources is unbroken.

Whey and dairy based vitamins and minerals are very well transporting the “better for you” message related to natu-rally sourced ingredients.

Lactoferrin an iron-binding protein fraction from whey, is supporting the physiology of iron intake and improv-ing its bioavailability. TruCal, a mineral complex generated from milk with 24% calcium, shows superior physiological uptake compared to calcium from min-eral sources.

On the other hand, nutritional in-gredients like omega 3 fatty acids are not covered sufficiently by the average modern western diet. And it is difficult to cover the daily need by healthy eating only. Innovative ingredient formulations, like omega 3 powders are an opportunity to add health to food and beverages.

The mainstream consumer under-stands the benefits of sports nutrition products for a healthy and active lifestyle and shows great interest in proteins, BCAAs and energy related ingredients.

Over 3% of global launches tracked by Innova Market Insights in 2015, used a high-in or source-of protein positioning. But other than the athlete and bodybuilders, the average consumer is not willing to compromise on in terms of taste.” ❚

Opinion edgegreen.indd 22 12-7-2016 15:13:44

JULY/AUGUST 2016 NUTRITION INSIGHT 23

BENNY ANTHONY, ARJUNA JOINT MANAGING DIRECTOR

On the rise of turmeric and sports nutrition platforms...

“Turmeric is one key ingredient that has experienced a phenomenal surge in consumer preference globally over the last few years. The use of turmeric has in-creased due to extensive research into it in the last years as medical practitioners have realized its health benefits. Modern medicine has also been studying this ingredient for its therapeutic properties and has found turmeric to be extremely beneficial in treating indications like arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, depres-sion and liver disease.

We see a growing demand for natural sports nutrition products globally with a substantial growth from Asian and South American countries also. The consumer also wants to choose between con-venient ready-to-mix or ready-to-drink products sticks, sachets that conveniently dissolve in water or milk and deliver an instant rush of energy without any side effects. For sports enthusiasts, protein content is important for muscle build-ing and regeneration. The latest trend shifts from muscle building to improving strength by healthy sport nutrition sup-plements. Increased nitric oxide levels in the body helps sportsmen and athletes to perform strenuous exercise for longer duration without fatigue. We have been getting very encouraging response to our recently launched brand Oxystorm, the first nitrate extract from Amaranthus species. Oxystorm provides more nitric oxide as compared to conventional sources like beetroot.” ❚

MARTINE ASSIÉ, AVEBE MARKET MANAGER FOOD

On protein fortification and personalization...

“Protein-fortified products are ex-periencing a widening appeal among consumers; from infants to the elderly and from health conscious consumers to athletes.

Moreover, the role of proteins in addressing undernutrition and in improving the recovery from diseases and surgeries is clearly stated by nutri-tionists and health authority guidelines.

At the same time, the food forms in which proteins are delivered seem to be even more important.

Consumers considered as fragile, such as hospitalized people, will need to get the right nutrition through easy to prepare and to consume food items, but somehow the same applies for active kids and adults seeking nutritious snacking options.

Today, research is able to dress me-tabolism maps based on individual DNA. This shows at an individual level the metabolic route that goes from a nutrient toward production of vital substances for a healthy individual.

In the future, this type of mapping is expected to allow predicting what types of nutrients and in what amount are needed by each individual to maintain balanced physiological function or to compensate for some non-functioning routes due to specific diseases.

At the same time, we see activities around 3D food printing technology, which could potentially be an answer to food & nutrition personalization.” ❚

RUDI DE MAN, NATTOPHARMA VP SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

On health & wellness and savory flavor trends...

“Consumers are looking for delivery forms that allow them to work their sup-plementation into their lifestyle.

Fortified foods and beverages will continue to grow, and NattoPharma’s MenaQ7 line has evolved, allowing us to offer the highest quality Vitamin K2 as MK-7 in a variety of commercial dilutions suitable for tablets, capsules, fortified foods and beverages.

Further, two new studies utilizing Me-naQ7 in yogurt showed it was a success-ful delivery form that improved K status, which contributed to improved cardio-vascular health, one of the top reasons consumers seek out supplementation.

The fact that yogurt can now be enriched with a cardio- and bone-protective vitamin in which the majority of the population is deficient is a major breakthrough.

The one constant with EU claims regulation is the insistence upon clinical evidence in the field of nutrition science. Manufacturers must seek out suppliers who have and are investing in scientific validation.

Even then, the wording of health claims must be so carefully weighed to convey the health benefit while not overpromising.

It can be a difficult road, but selecting the right partner to help navigate can make all the difference.

And we at NattoPharma pride ourselves on being an excellent partner in that regard.” ❚

Opinion edgegreen.indd 23 12-7-2016 15:15:07

24 NUTRITION INSIGHT JULY/AUGUST 2016

JÖRG PRITZ, UNIVAR EMEA TECHNICAL MANAGER

At the impact of the “healthy living” trend...

“Looking a couple of years back, I personally had the impression that the nutrition industry was moving towards a low price, low quality helix, which was questionable where it would end.

Not least with the increase of supermarket discounters offering very low prices, the key priority of the broad consumer mass was the lowest possible price over any other product aspects. This trend has significantly changed in the last couple of years, which I feel very positive about.

Consumers nowadays seem to care more about what they eat and demand more information about the products they consume, such as more details about the ingredients used and how/where they have been sourced. Keywords like “clean label,” “organic,” “from the region,” “fair trade” etc. have developed during this period.

As our daily diet is a major part of our well-being and thus the “healthy living” aspect, the traditional nutri-tion segments have definitely been influenced by this holistic approach and changed the way a lot of people regard and “value” the food they consume today.

Besides this, the development and mainstreaming of sports nutrition is a further aspect of the increased aware-ness and requirement from consum-ers to eat and live healthy.” ❚

FILIP VAN HULLE, KANEKA SENIOR MANAGER QOL DIVISION

On trending actives and sports nutrition...

“The most interesting opportuni-ties in the nutraceutical ingredients market are in the field of healthy aging, quality of life, cardiovascular health, obesity and the sports market. Particularly interesting is Ubiquinol, a body-own nutrient which goes down with aging and is crucial for heart health. Ubiquinol levels have also been shown to be decreased if disease, stressed life, sports, etc. Sales of Ubiquinol are rapidly growing. Globally there are now more than 300 different Ubiquinol brands and every month new products are introduced. Most people easily feel some energiz-ing effect if you take a high enough dose during certain period and this is one of the reasons of its success.

The time that only professional athletes were taking supplements is gone and now more and more week-end warriors or people doing a little bit of sports or exercise are starting to take supplements. An important reason is that sports can lead to injury and its cause is often because the body loses nutrients during sports.

Many athletes are already taking Ubiquinol, with a good example be-ing the Athletic Bilbao football club in Spain. Ubiquinol has a slight perform-ance enhancing effect, but it increases perfusion of the muscles (important to bring all nutrients including pro-teins into muscles) and aids recovery/limits muscle damage.” ❚

TONY GAY, PRINOVA NUTRITIONAL SALES MANAGER

On innovation in the sports nutrition space...

“Amino acid fortification is a growing area within the sports nutri-tion powders market, with particular focus on branched chain amino acid (BCAAs). The latest emerging trend is that beverage manufacturers have begun to include BCAAs in low calorie energy drinks. For example, the Swedish brand NOCCO has formulated a canned energy drink including BCAAs, green tea, caffeine and B vitamins. In addition, there is a growing demand among manufactur-ers for vegan grade BCAAs to ensure the final products will appeal to a wider customer base.

The sports nutrition market lines are becoming blurred in recent years and what was once niche is increasingly becoming part of the mainstream offering. Products such as bounce balls and WheyHey! Protein Ice Cream have been pioneers in crossing the line between sports nu-trition and functional food. And now brands like Reflex, whose roots are very much in the core market, are in-creasingly focused on the mainstream with their NPD. Becoming mainstream has helped create consolidation in the market, as the bigger players move in to control the retail space. Smaller players really have to be extremely in-novative to break through now, which means we will continue to see innova-tion in ingredients, delivery formats, product offering and branding.” ❚

Opinion edgegreen.indd 24 12-7-2016 15:16:11