Are you curious about the expected trends within the supplement industry in 2021? Then read on quickly! As 2020 draws to a close, we have identified several trends that are likely to impact the supplement industry in the coming year.
In this article we, therefore, describe the most important market trends for nutritional supplements to look forward to in 2020.
Trends within the supplement industry
Industry trends expected in 2021 include transparency, sustainability, natural-sourced supplements, and plant-based products.
Below we zoom in on a number of trends within the supplement industry that we noticed. We will then conclude this article by providing more insight into the trends in supplement ingredients.
Transparency is a trend
In the dietary supplement industry, transparency refers to raising awareness of issues related to supplement quality and business operations.
This includes providing information to consumers about the quality of supplements, including ingredients, manufacturing, allergen claims, excipient content (inactive ingredients), storage, and distribution.
It is estimated that 20% of the population choose transparent supplement brands. Therefore, industry experts have advised dietary supplement companies to prioritize transparency.
Increasingly, supplement manufacturers are using innovative ways to improve the transparency of their products. For example, certain manufacturers offer traceability of products or batches.
For example, you can search their database for a batch number, so that you can see whether the product has been tested and which path it has traveled.
Sustainability is also one of the trends within the supplement industry
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines sustainable diets as: “The diets with a low environmental pressure that contribute to food and nutrition security and a healthy life for current and future generations”.Sustainable diets respect biodiversity and ecosystems, cultural acceptability, and (financial) accessibility.
When these findings are applied to the supplement industry, sustainability aspects can be implemented at various stages of the supply chain, including:
- Looking for sustainable ingredients (e.g. organic farming methods, sustainable wild harvest)
- Process and manufacture products without the use of chemicals (e.g. solvents, emulsifiers, additives, etc.)
- Process and manufacture products using renewable or clean energy
- Using recycled or environmentally friendly product packaging
- Use environmentally friendly shipping materials (e.g. minimize plastic and polystyrene packaging)
Consumer reports suggest that individuals are willing to pay more for nutritional supplements from brands that follow these guidelines. Therefore, “sustainability” is one of the expected trends in the supplement industry in 2020.
Supplements of natural origin
Natural dietary supplements do not contain synthetically produced ingredients (such as synthetic vitamins, artificial flavors, and preservatives). In recent years, this branch of the supplement market (natural-origin supplements) has seen an estimated annual growth rate of up to 5%.
Vegetable products
Natural Products Insider reported that the plant-based retail market grew 11% from April 2018 to April 2019. The key areas within this market are plant-based proteins and nutritional supplements. Individuals following a vegetarian or vegan diet look for plant-based products that are made without the use of animal ingredients.
The trend towards plant-based products may soon have more and more influence on the supplement industry. But also think of vegetable supplements for beautiful hair and the desire of today's consumers for cruelty-free or allergen-free supplements. Therefore, this trend should not be missing from this list of trends within the supplement industry.
Trends of Popular Ingredients for Supplements
Cannabidiol (CBD): CBD is an important “phytocannabinoid” that occurs naturally in the cannabis plant and does not cause any psychoactive effects. Good CBD oil can influence body processes and bring about positive health effects thanks to its interaction with the “endocannabinoid” system.
Collagen: Collagen is one of the essential building blocks of the body. Collagen is found in connective tissues, such as skin, bone, cartilage, joints, hair, and blood vessels. Collagen is often used to treat conditions primarily related to joint pain. It also supports skin health.
Prebiotics: A prebiotic can be classified as a type of dietary fiber. A prebiotic is defined as “a non-digestible compound that positively modulates the composition and/or activity of the intestinal flora”. Examples of prebiotics are inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and beta-glucans.
The content of this article is based on scientific publications and was written in collaboration with medical specialists/nutritionists.
