Dietary Supplements in Belgium

PROSPECTS

Players appear to face pressure from EFSA

In 2018, there was debate over whether dietary supplements appeared to be less scrutinised by the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) and local authorities, or if it was the growing ingenuity of players to efficiently adapt to EFSA constraints. Whatever the response, the outlook for dietary supplements has improved on what was originally predicted in the middle of the review period.

Some products remain under scrutiny

Dietary supplements could experience some negative response, however, which could dampen the potential of the category. Due to the expected ongoing success of red rice yeast brands, such as Armolipid by Madaus Pharma and Cholesfytol from Tilman, manufacturers still expected a positive response from dietary supplements aimed at circulation and hearth health.

Reduced lifecycles and competition from other products

The reduced lifecycles of some dietary supplements and the cannibalisation from other categories could also act as a drag on sales. First, the sudden saturation of cranberries in 2018 could result in the stagnation or even the decline of women’s health supplements in the short term.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Mixed results for leader Merck Consumer Healthcare

In one of the most fragmented competitive landscapes in consumer health, Merck Consumer Healthcare was the only player to hold a double-digit value share. 2017 and the first half of 2018 were rather difficult for the leader.

Femannose contributes to dynamism of women's health

One of the most important novelties was Femannose N by Melisana, a fast-acting dietary supplement aimed at preventing and treating severe cystitis. Melisana used the services of the advertising agency Good Morning to promote Femannose: first with a B2B campaign aimed at doctors and pharmacists and then with a campaign targeting end consumers with leaflets in waiting rooms and pharmacies, and magazine advertisements.

Medium-sized and local players more reactive

Rather modest players, sometimes of Belgian origin, were often more able than multinationals to record stable performances in 2017-2018, notably due to greater flexibility and the ability to adapt to local demand, often with greater aggressiveness. Tilman is frequently the subject of success stories such as Flexophytol in curcuma and Cholesfytol in red yeast rice.

Files are delivered directly into your account within a few minutes of purchase.