Vol.

1, Issue 1
January 2016 36
www.vitafoods.eu.com

Vitafoods
Europe 2016:

European Trends
in Nutritional
Ingredients
Communicating benefits is key
to growth in 2016

January 2016

CONTENTS
03
VIEWPOINT
by Chris Lee

Looking to explore new ingredients that will

drive product ideation in 2016? This special
report is designed to do just that.

05

EUROPEAN TRENDS IN
NUTRITIONAL INGREDIENTS
by Paul Gander

The functional ingredients sector appears to have the

ability to gain traction in 2016 by remaining mindful
of consumer desires and trends, toeing the line with
regulations, and partnering with companies in NPD to
develop finished products that truly meet market needs.

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Exhibitions LLC.

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Viewpoint

Prepare to Explore Nutritional

Ingredients at Vitafoods Europe
Europes nutrition landscape moves quickly and
changes fast. It is influenced by evolving consumer
needs, and shaped by new regulations that can help
and hinder in equal measure.
Such a dynamic environment presents significant
business challenges, but also creates huge
opportunities. Nutrition companies that find the
perfect recipe for success will reap the rewards in the
form of increased sales, greater consumer loyalty and
long-term profitability.
Vitafoods Europe, the global nutraceutical event,
offers nutrition companies a unique opportunity to
find solutions to the challenges they face and to
maximise their business potential. It is where the
industry comes together as one to share and discover
the latest ingredient innovations, to hear fresh
insights into trends and regulations, to learn about
the latest scientific developments, and to meet with
contacts old and new.

Produced in partnership with our

colleagues at Natural Products INSIDER,
this new report is the perfect companion to
your visit to this years Vitafoods Europe,
which takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, from
10-12 May 2016. Weve spoken exclusively with
several leading ingredients suppliers and independent
experts to bring you the latest knowledge in the key
areas that matter most.
All of the companies featured in the report, plus a
host of independent experts, will be among the
exhibitors at Vitafoods Europe 2016, providing you
with the opportunity to find out first-hand what
the issues weve identified mean for your business.
I hope you enjoy reading European Trends in
Nutritional Ingredients as much as weve enjoyed
creating it. I look forward to seeing you at
Vitafoods Europe 2016 later this year. Its set to be
our biggest and best show ever, and is definitely
not one to be missed!

Vitafoods Europe
offers nutrition companies a
unique opportunity to find
solutions to the challenges
they face

Chris Lee
Vitafoods Portfolio
Director
Informa Exhibitions
chris.lee@informa.com

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Vitafoods Europe 2016:

European Trends in
Nutritional Ingredients
Communicating benefits is key to growth in 2016
By Paul Gander

European markets for nutritional

ingredients face many forbidding
challenges during 2016 but, against
the run of play, some exciting
opportunities look set to materialise
from unexpected quarters.
Globally, dietary supplements
remain popular, and the functional
foods market promises a bright
future, according to Rudi De Man,
Vice President of Sales and Business
Development, NattoPharma. He
quotes Statista data showing
worldwide annual growth of 6
percent for functional foods
between 2011 and 2015.
On the challenges side, when it
comes to Europe, you need look no
further than probiotics to see the
evidence. Euromonitor International
cites figures showing that value
growth in probiotic yoghurt stood at
18 percent between 2002 and 2003
in Europe.
This compares with shrinking values
since the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA) delivered its first
negative scientific opinions in 2010.
Euromonitor Health and Wellness
Associate Maria Mascaraque
commented: This culminated in
value sales plummeting by 8 percent

between 2012 and 2013, when all

probiotic health claims were
banned. Sales have remained
negative ever since.
Scrabbling around for a positive
angle, Euromonitor cites Swiss health
claims approved for probiotics, most
recently (in September 2015) for
Yakults Lactobacillus casei Shirota
regarding gut health. In 2014,
DuPont-Danisco had a Swiss health
claim approved for Bifidobacterium
lactis HN019, also for digestive health.
Earlier still, in 2013, Danone led the

European markets
for nutritional ingredients face
many forbidding challenges,
but some exciting opportunities
look set to materialise from
unexpected quarters.

field in Switzerland with approval for a

gut health claim in relation to the

Bifidobacteria in its Activia brand.

If anyone should doubt whether
health claims have an impact on
sales, Euromonitor quotes positive
growth for Activia in Switzerland
since the claim was approved,
compared with a sustained falling-off
in 20 EU countries researched by the
data company.
Are there any signs of optimism, or
of improved regulatory transit,
inside the EU? Patrick Coppens,
Director of International Food &
Health Law and Scientific Affairs at
EAS Strategies in Brussels, went out
on a limb, stating: I believe a claim
for probiotics is likely to win a
positive opinion from EFSA during
2016. Effects have been
demonstrated, and past claims have
been rejected because of flaws in the
studies. The sector understood what
was needed, and the results of new
studies should be coming in.
It will probably not be the most
exciting claim, he continued. We
are unlikely to see anything around
immune function, for example. As
in the Swiss examples, the most
probable benefit area is likely to be
something measurable such as
gut health.

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Meanwhile, research and

development (R&D) work into
probiotic delivery systems carries
on in parallel with scientific work
around the benefits. At Chr.
Hansen, Marketing Specialist for
Human Health & Nutrition Mia
Casparij offers the example of a
soft gel supplement for pregnant
and lactating women. Combining
probiotics and Omega-3, this is
said to be the first soft gel
formulation worldwide that can
maintain a shelf-life of two years
for live probiotics. Casparij also
sees far more research into
probiotics now than in the past.

Evidence Paves the Way

As in other ingredient areas, this
reflects the new emphasis on
documented and evidence-based
science in the dietary supplements
and functional foods arena.
Hanneke Bouman is Sales
Manager at Dutch-based
Bioriginal, which describes itself as
a supplier of plant- and marinebased Omega solutions. She said,
We are seeing a trend towards
traceability, sustainability and pure
and natural concentrated oils.
This means activity is particularly
intense around its plant-based
Omegas and Marine Stewardship
Council (MSC)-certified fish oils.
The days when Omega-3 was an
undifferentiated commodity
product are long-gone.
Segmentation now comes thanks
to certification, different sources
such as fish or krill, and increasing
consumer understanding of the

value of long-chain
docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) and
eicosapentaenoic
acid (EPA). And as
the company
description implies,
there is also an
increasing emphasis
on other Omega
oils, such as
Omega-7.
Even though there
are still some gaps
in the science,
Coppens said,
Omega-3s benefit
hugely from their approved
nutritional health claims and from
the fact that they have recognised
disease-reduction effects in areas
such as cardiovascular health.
Supported by science,
understanding of the benefits of
particular nutrients among
consumers and professionals is
increasing all the time.
NattoPharma identifies healthy
ageing as a target area with
vitamin K2, which it supplies and
which is almost completely void
from our food supply.
The company carried out a
three-year human clinical study
into the bone-building credentials
of vitamin K2. But there are also
cardiovascular benefits. Being
fearful about poor bone and
cardiovascular health can be a
hindrance for the growing
population of senior citizens
when engaging in activities, travel
and exercise, De Man said.

In another study, NattoPharmas

vitamin K2 was successfully
incorporated into yoghurt.
Healthy patients received low
doses of vitamin K2 in a yoghurt
drink for three months, showing
that benefits can be obtained
through delivery systems other
than traditional dietary
supplements, he said.
Another micronutrient that is now
better understood and appreciated
by consumers is vitamin D. The
relevance of vitamin D deficiency is
not only to do with northern
European countries, but also
warmer regions, said Maria
Pavlidou, DSMs Head of
Communications for Europe. Its
also to do with the amount of new
science that has emerged around
vitamin D.
Across vitamins more generally, the
company emphasises the
importance of innovative delivery
formats. Pavlidou cited Mintel data
confirming that capsules still

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remain the most important delivery

format. But, she added:
Consumers want supplements
and products which feel less like
medicines. These might be
gummies for children, drinks, shots
or multivitamin powders.
Consumers want products they can
consume on-the-go, without water,
sometimes with a playful element
to them.

Meeting Consumer
Demands
There is still plenty of room for
innovation in the area of nutrition
delivery, and not only for vitamins
and minerals. Pavlidou describes
beta-glucans as one of the
ingredients which correspond
most closely with consumer
trends. Those trends include
concerns about diabetes and
cardiovascular disease, but they
could also be said to include
expectations about convenience.
DSMs own beta-glucan product is
in a powder format that can be
easily incorporated into baked
goods. We now know we can
include it in smoothies, and can be
supplied in a sachet to make
milkshakes, Pavlidou said. In the
UK, it is also available as a
spoonable consumer ingredient.
Of course, other ingredient
suppliers pay equally close
attention to consumer trends
and to priorities among different
groups of consumers.
For Lonza, one recent shift has
come about in relation to the
nutritional ingredient industrys

target audience. After focusing on

the baby boomer generation for
some years, now the Millennials
(aged 18 to 34) are back in focus,
said Scientific Marketing Director
Ulla Freitas.

There is increasing interest in any

sort of natural positioning in the
sports sector. Consumer concerns
relate to the ingredients
themselves, but also the method
of extraction.

Sports nutrition

and particularly recovery

formulations has experienced
massive growth during the
last five years, and it is
still strong.

With the continuing trend of

consumers buying dedicated sports
nutrition products, even if they are
not professional athletes, this is
certainly a focus area for us, she
said. L-carnitine, which is Lonzas
flagship ingredient, has been
shown to help with recovery
processes after strenuous exercise,
the company reported.
At Spanish botanicals company
Monteloeder, Head of Marketing
Fernando Cartagena noted:
Sports nutritionand particularly
recovery formulationshas
experienced massive growth
during the last five years, and it is
still strong.

Cartagena offered an example. In

sports recovery, we have a botanical
extract with extensive science
which, from a European regulatory
standpoint is very interesting, as it
comes from the well-known lemon
verbena plant and is extracted only
with water, he said.
Along with sports nutrition,
Monteloeder sees beauty-fromwithin as a growth area for
nutritional ingredients over the
coming year. We will see an
increase in the number of
ingredient launches in these two
areas, although only those with
clear scientific evidence and a
transparent communications

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strategy to do with traceability and

manufacturing will be able to stay
in the market, he said. He
believes this type of honest
story is of particular importance
to Millennial consumers.
EAS Strategies, too, sees sports
nutrition looming large in 2016,
though not always for positive
reasons. As of this year, sport is no
longer governed by the Food for
Particular Nutritional Uses
(PARNUTS) directive, Coppens
noted, but is now bracketed with
general food and supplements.
This is not very helpful, he said.
Ingredients need to comply with
the general rules. But if the
products are intended for sports
people, many of those properties
will not be applicable to the general
population. How will labelling and
claims be handled? There may be
regulatory problems, and they
could well surface during 2016.
In sports as in other more
mainstream categories, EAS
Strategies predicts protein sources
will continue to play a prime role in
NPD. Unlike carbohydrates or fats,
protein remains the one
macronutrient with good
associations, Coppens said. Given
the approved claims for protein, its
hardly surprising that its finding its
way into new products for the
general population, as well as sports
people.
He continued: You can do NPD
with protein. Its an area of
innovation that companies will
continue to work with, probably
more so even than with Omega-

3s, for example. In this respect,

he said, proteins benefits in terms
of technical functionality are
almost as important as its
consumer benefits.

Claims Impact Innovation

Overall, nutritional health claims
will continue to have an impact on
innovation and marketing across
Europe during 2016 and beyond.
Lonza differentiates between
established ingredients, with a long
history of use and consumer
awareness, and newly-developed
ingredients. The first group seems
to be only moderately affected by
the new regulation, because
consumers tend to know the
benefits, Freitas said.
For the second group, it can be
extremely difficult to establish a
positioning without communicating
the benefits. This certainly has an
effect on innovation, she said.
Trying to achieve
an EFSA health
claim is time- and
cost-intensive, and
even with multiple
gold-standard
studies, there is no
guarantee of
success.
Bouman added:
Customers are
focusing more on
the use of
ingredients where
EU health claims
can be made.
Sometimes an
entire product can

be created around the preferred

health claims. Ingredients where
health claims cannot be made are
of less interest. For EPA and DHA,
there are a relatively high number
of approved health claims, making
fish and krill oil especially
interesting for customers.
But, as EAS Strategies points out,
there are areas such as immune
function where, even when an
ingredient can be seen to have a
probable effect, it is extremely
difficult to conclusively demonstrate
that benefit.
If we see new claims over the next
few months, it is likely to be in
those health areas where we
already have recognised
biomarkers, Coppens said.
He drew some further conclusions
about the EFSA health claims
process, noting the current research
and claims submission procedure is
extremely protracted. As the years

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Rather than being treated with

scepticism ... approved claims should

be communicated, not least through
the recommendations of national
health authorities.

go by, what are the economic

benefits to any given business?
he asked. By the time any claim
materialises, if it does, the world
has moved on. That is the most
important aspect in all of this to
stifle innovation.
Meanwhile, EFSAs role in the
implementation of the Nutrition &
Health Claims Regulation is not
going unnoticed elsewhere
notably at sister body the European
Medicines Agency (EMA).
Theres a strong push from the
pharmaceuticals side to keep health
benefits within the domain of
medicines, Coppens said. We
have recently seen a lot of
monographs from the EMA looking
at botanicals. And once a plant
molecule has a medicines licence, it
can effectively be barred from
being regulated as a food.
But if EFSAs influence has a
slowing effect on innovation in
foods and supplements, other
organisations also have a
responsibility when it comes to
communicating the benefits of
those ingredients that do have
health claims, Coppens believes.

There is still an entrenched view,

even among many academics, that
a balanced diet provides the
population with all the nutrition it
needs for good health. In the
sense that you dont die, that is
true, argued Coppens. But that
doesnt mean there are no benefits
from supplementing that diet.
He added: Given the tremendous
difficulty in achieving a claim, or a
positive opinion from EFSA, the
process must have credibility. But
while individual negative studies
get reported without comment,
they should be reported in the
same way as positive studies.
Rather than being treated with
scepticism by many in the scientific
establishment, approved claims
should be communicated,
Coppens said, not least through
the recommendations of national
health authorities.
In general, the ingredients sector
appears to have the ability to gain
traction in 2016 by remaining
mindful of consumer desires and
trends, toeing the line with
regulations, and partnering with
companies in NPD to develop

finished products that truly meet

market needs.
Paul Gander is a London-based freelance
journalist and editor who writes for a
range of food and ingredient-related
business publications and websites. In
the past, he has edited packaging and
international confectionery industry
titles, International Food Ingredients
magazine and currently edits a
packaging research newsletter. He has
written for the nationals, including the
FT and Independent on Sunday, as well
as for magazines across a range of
industries from hotels and travel to
marketing and design.

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Contacts

Informa Exhibitions Global Health & Nutrition Network is one of the worlds leading knowledge
providers. We create and deliver highly specialised information through events, digital media and
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Network has an unrivalled offering within the health and nutrition marketplace for individuals, businesses
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Jon Benninger
Vice President, Health & Nutrition
jon.benninger@informa.com

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chris.lee@informa.com

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