Euromonitor International had the pleasure of attending and speaking at SupplySide West 2016 in Las Vegas on 5-8 October. As one of the leading trade shows in the ingredients and consumer health space, SupplySide West showcased key trends focusing on innovation and prospects for the industry.
Probiotics
Euromonitor International was delighted to open up the Probiotic Workshop, developed by SupplySide West in cooperation with the International Probiotic Association, with insight into the market performance and growth drivers of probiotics supplements.
Probiotic supplements continue to outperform globally and in the key US market, with an increasing range of applications. Moving beyond digestive health to immunity, oral health, feminine health, skin health, weight control and diabetes, sport endurance, cognitive health and gut-brain axis, gut-muscle axis and cardiovascular health, probiotics are proving to be one of the most versatile ingredients of all times.
Probiotic supplements will outpace all others through to 2021. North American consumers embrace probiotic supplements, whereas Latin Americans prefer probiotic-rich foods and beverages. Convenience, advice from pharmacists and the connected consumer shape the future for this market.
Clean labels
On one hand, we have heard of clean label for years, and clean label has definitely become the new face of the health and wellness movement. On the other, it feels, as if clean label has appeared overnight. Whilst consumers have been observing the "no artificial" and "all natural" claims appearing on the food and drinks packaging, there were no solid sales figures attached measuring the size of the clean label movement.
During the Clean Label Summit, Euromonitor discussed how to deliver on clean label expectations in the context of Euromonitor's brand new Ethical Labels system database, published in May 2016.
Manufacturers are making big commitments to consumers about cleaning up their labels. However, no major brand has taken a lead in clean label claims despite its importance to consumers. Packaged food is clearly the biggest area for introducing clean labels. But, will smart labels extend clean labelling and make no labelling a possibility?
The meaning of “natural”
In a panel titled “GMOs: Today’s Challenges, Tomorrows Opportunities,” Adam Fox of Squire Patton Boggs touched on the topic of natural labelling – mentioning that the FDA has not engaged in rulemaking to streamline the definition of the term “natural”.
This uncertainty in the meaning of “natural” is also expressed from the consumer side as seen in Euromonitor’s recent Global Consumer Trends survey. In 2011, 48% of survey respondents defined “natural” as having strict regulations, which dropped to 26% in 2016. Similarly, 44% of respondents defined “natural” as respecting animal welfare in 2011, which also decreased to 28% in 2016.
Most consumers agree that “natural” means no artificial additives or chemicals, but opinions vary on whether natural products are also organic, strictly regulated, or healthier than non-natural. According to Fox’s presentation, the FDA guidance on “natural” excludes artificial and synthetic additions to food that would not otherwise be expected. However, the FDA did not consider any nutritional or health benefits in defining “natural”.
Source: Euromonitor’s Global Consumer Trends Survey 2011, 2016