Focus on the Future Delivers Industry Insights, Networking Opportunities

In a timely session given the media attention on the Olympics and the Safe Supplement Act introduced by Sen. John McCain, the session, Safe Supplements and Athletic Performance, featured Travis T. Tygart, chief executive officer, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA); Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, Natural Products Association (NPA); and Marc Ullman, Esq., partner, Ullman, Shapiro & Ullman LLP. Tygart praised McCains bill, saying legitimate companies are already following its requirements. However, Fabricant called the legislation unnecessary, as the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) already provides FDA with the power to regulate the industry. Ullman added it is already illegal for anyone in the supply chain to put adulterated or misbranding supplements on the market, so this proposed law will not offer any future deterrence to those who are selling illegal drugs masquerading as supplements.

Tom Vierhile, director, product launch analytics/productscan, Datamonitor, lifted the mood, with his Opportunities in Mood Foods and Supplements that Boost Mental Performance presentation.  He said mental health issues have grown as a market segment, especially among the youth.  The three types of mood foods on the market are stress relievers, those that enhance thinking and memory, and emotional comfort foods. Consumers are concerned with the efficacy of these products and may feel stigmatized by purchasing products made to improve mood, he said. However, he noted attitudes and needs now include mental health as part of the overall feeling of well-being, consumers are more aware that diet and supplements affect mental health, and science in this arena is increasing.

Consumers are no longer relying on doctors and other health professional to provide them with all of their health education, noted Lori Colman, chief executive officer, Colman Brohan Davis Inc. She noted consumers want efficacious products that protect them from harm and diseases, and they want companies to earn their trust. When it comes to supplement purchases, consumers are most interested in safety, ingredients and sustainability and least interested in taste and price. With regards to food, men are looking for omega-3s, protein and heart health product and are less brand loyal, while younger women are more interested in fair trade, organic and weight loss. Older women have a high interest in private label, digestive aides and sleep products, and are actively seeking information from the Internet, magazines and television.

Jay Golden, Ph.D., assistant professor, school of sustainability, Arizona State University, and co-director of the Sustainability Consortium, opened the conference with a discussion on the need for a regulated sustainable product systemone that is transparent and grounded in scienceas many green claims go unchecked. With population growth leading to increased consumption and expansive use of natural resources, Golden says companies need to address environmental, social and economic imperatives. Sustainability is moving forward, and you need to be ready for it.

Melissa Abbott, trends and culinary insights manager, The Hartman Group, Inc., offered insight into which foods and beverages consumers are choosing, and why. Today, she said, consumers are looking for naturally functional foods that help with emotional and mental needs, and theyre looking for trendy ingredients, such as green tea, coconut water, omega-3s and grass-fed dairy. Consumers are basing their selections on three healthy food cues: how was it grown, where was it grown, and when was it grown. Theyre looking for local, fresh, real, premium foods, she said.

Lynn Dornblaser, director, CPG trend insight, Mintel International Group, looked at four trends/claimsprobiotics, digestive health, energy and joint healthand their roles in the food/beverage and supplement markets. Ingredients for digestive health, she said, have fared well in both sectors, with 19% of consumers taking supplements for digestive health, and 63% turning to functional foods. Energy-boosting products also straddle both markets, but with different claimsincluding mental alertness, vitality and weight lossand different ingredients. Caffeine and taurine are losing importance, she noted, while B₆, B₁₂ and niacin are gaining importance.