Fiber’s got a lot going for it. One of the biggest boons is consumer recognition. As an ingredient, fiber’s perceived healthfulness is the highest among consumers, according to the 2021 Food and Health Survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC), with 56% of respondents actively trying to consume fiber. For manufacturers, fiber also boasts a lot of advantages. Fiber ingredients can improve the texture and stability of baked goods and even yogurts, help with sugar reduction, and add valuable digestive and cardiovascular health benefits.

According to the IFIC survey, a majority of consumers (92%) try to get fiber from food, but 1 in 5 still use supplements for fiber. To help consumers achieve their daily recommended fiber intake, offering well-tolerated products is paramount. “It can be difficult to meet the daily recommended value of fiber of 28 g for a typical 2,000-calorie-per-day diet through consumption of foods,” explains Sarah Diedrich, marketing director, sweetening solutions & fibers, ADM (Chicago, IL). “To conveniently add more fiber, some consumers look to foods fortified with added fiber, but these products can be associated with gastric distress. Our research finds that nearly 70% of consumers would not purchase a product again if it caused gastrointestinal discomfort.”

Fiber is associated with a number of health benefits as science on the gut microbiome improves. One growing interest area is the connection between digestive health and immunity.

“The early research suggests that prebiotic dietary fibers, such as our Promitor Soluble Fiber, may help support immune health, and research continues regarding this potential benefit,” says Melissa Kaczmarczyk, principal scientist, Global Nutrition, Tate & Lyle (London). “Furthermore, a lack of dietary fiber intake can have negative impacts on the gut barrier and result in increased susceptibility to pathogens.”

“Consumers’ concern for their immune health has only intensified throughout the pandemic, with 65% of global consumers more conscious of immunity due to COVID-19,” says Diedrich, citing research from FMCG Gurus. And they’re looking at fiber. “In fact, of the 87% of U.S. consumers interested in products with ingredients that may support immune function, 65% are specifically interested in fiber. We anticipate an increase in the development of fiber ingredients that link to immune function–supporting benefits as consumer demand grows.”

Prebiotic claims can promote the digestive and immune health benefits of fiber products, but manufacturers should be careful not to confuse consumers.

may cause confusion without proper explanation, but the use of this term shows a greater interest in trying to understand the complexities of gut health,” Kaczmarczyk says. “While consumers today have a greater understanding of gut health, additional education needs to be provided to further explain the differences and benefits that prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics can have on the human microbiome. Additionally, not all consumers today know that many types of soluble fibers are prebiotics.”

She adds, “Over the past 90 days, social media posts confirm interest in ‘fiber’ and ‘prebiotics,’ but the combination of these two terms does not appear as frequently. This data supports that while prebiotics are being talked about alongside fiber, additional steps need to be taken to educate consumers on the link between fibers and prebiotics.”

According to Nicole Redini, category strategy manager, NOAM, Tate & Lyle, not enough manufacturers leverage the fiber content in their products. “From an opportunity standpoint, only around 2%-3% of food and beverage U.S. launches make a high-/added-fiber claim, which may indicate that while several products contain fiber, consumers may not be fully aware of the benefits,” says Redini. “In addition, less than 1% of U.S. food and drink launches contain a prebiotic claim. This presents an opportunity for brands to launch products with high-fiber, prebiotic, and gut health claims to ensure consumers are aware of the benefits they are receiving by consuming products containing fiber.”

With the development of well-tolerated and versatile fiber ingredients like ADM’s Fibersol and Tate & Lyle’s Promitor Soluble Fibers, fiber can play in many products. “The category with the greatest share of new product launches containing soluble fiber ingredients remains snack, cereal, and energy bars, according to Mintel GNPD,” says Redini. “However, in 2020 and 2021, other categories such as sweet biscuits and cookies, cold cereals, vitamins and dietary supplements, and ice cream saw an increased share in launches containing fiber. There has also been a continued rise in the launch of fiber-based gummy supplements over the past year to support gut health.”

The takeaway? Fiber has a lot to look forward to—and so do consumers.

Articles

The future of fiber ingredients looks bright.

Fiber forward: Where are fiber food ingredient trends heading?

Plant proteins have come a long way. Newer ingredients are giving formulators more flexibility while improving texture, flavor, and nutrition. Some ingredient suppliers are even combining various plant proteins into blends offering tailored benefits.

Consumers may still only be mostly familiar with legacy ingredients like soy and almonds. But as the plant protein market matures, newer sources will have an opportunity to take the spotlight. Here are some of the plant protein sources gaining traction—and the measures it’ll take to get them to commercial scale.

Some of the most popular emerging plant proteins are sourced from legumes. In fact, consumers often perceive legumes like nuts, seeds, and beans to be the best-tasting and healthiest plant proteins, says Jacquelyn Schuh, global marketing director of protein nutrition solutions for ADM (Chicago).

And it shows. “The use of pea protein specifically has grown by 297% for meat alternatives and 127% for dairy alternatives over the past five years,” Schuh says. “This growth is likely because brands are looking for plant proteins that can help position products for consumer-friendly labeling.”

What comes after pea protein? Formulators are investigating various plant ingredients that currently rank low in consumer awareness but have great potential. Algae, hemp, lupin, amaranth, and sorghum are among the ingredients undergoing technological development, Schuh says.

Suppliers are working hard to create functional isolates or concentrates from these ingredients that brands can then incorporate into formulations with ease. Consumers, however, might take longer to get comfortable with these unfamiliar options.

“Growth in fermented, cell-based, and 3D-printed proteins continues to spur innovation,” Schuh says. “However, we anticipate there will be a gap in consumer acceptance, especially by those who are focused on clean labels. Closer on the horizon are processing and formulation advancements to refine plant proteins so that they need fewer complementary ingredients like emulsifiers, maskers, and stabilizers.”

Nevertheless, advanced research is bringing a variety of non-traditional proteins closer to reality. ADM recently opened a plant-based innovation lab in Singapore to foster product development. The company also partnered with Marfrig (São Paulo, Brazil) to launch PlantPlus Foods, a new joint venture that will offer a variety of finished-product plant-based foods. Earlier this year, ADM announced that it became an investor in Air Protein (Pleasanton, CA), an alternative-protein manufacturer that creates protein flour from the elements present in air. You heard that right.

While these newer plant protein sources are gaining some degree of consumer awareness, they still haven’t toppled legacy sources like soy protein. Scaling emerging proteins will require effective marketing to educate consumers and foster brand familiarity.

Ryan Bracken, co-CEO of Merit Functional Foods (Winnipeg, MB, Canada), says consumers 

 becoming more knowledgeable about the fact that there are different kinds of plant-based proteins. They are now interested in knowing 

 type of plant protein is in the products they buy.

This phenomenon, he says, is now driving interest in newer sources like canola protein, which his company offers. “We expect this shift will continue as consumers have better taste experiences with different types of protein,” Bracken adds. “For instance, if a consumer tries and loves a product that is made with canola protein, we expect they’ll start seeking out more canola protein products.”

The dairy-alternatives market, in particular, is one where emerging plant proteins could shine. Here, suppliers have an opportunity to get a leg up via nutrition, because most of the plant-based dairy alternatives on the market today, like oat milk and almond milk, have less protein per serving than cow’s milk, Bracken says.

“Consumers want dairy-alternative products that are true replacements for dairy products, which includes comparable protein levels,” he says. “Most dairy beverages offer protein levels of 8 grams per serving, which is why we sought to produce plant protein ingredients that can deliver a similar result.”

Bracken notes that the consumer base for plant proteins has expanded in recent years. Early adopters in the plant-based movement have traditionally been forgiving of poor quality in plant-based products. But now that the plant protein consumer base has expanded beyond vegans and vegetarians to include flexitarians, the flexitarian demographic expects good taste, good texture, and improved nutrition from plant-based foods—which is forcing ingredient suppliers and brands to step it up.

Merit Functional Foods’ branded canola protein ingredient, Puratein, works well in a variety of formulations, Bracken says. Canola protein, he adds, is ideal for plant-based ice cream due to the whipping and foaming effect it exhibits during processing, while its gelling characteristics make it a fit for plant-based burgers.

Ingredient suppliers are answering the call for plant proteins with innovation. As flexitarian demand for plant-based food grows, more opportunities will emerge for brands that can reproduce a meat-like or dairy-like experience through plant proteins. Smart marketing campaigns that emphasize taste, experience—and, when possible, nutrition—will be essential in reaching this new demographic.

New entrants are raising the bar for creativity and even nutrition. But can they go commercial?

Plant protein’s new players

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the world’s number one killer, even as COVID-19 and its variant strains dominate front-page news. It’s a fact we can’t forget.

We can’t lose sight of the importance of heart health, even as consumers devote more attention to other health priorities during the pandemic, like immunity. “Truth is, right now,” says Annie Eng, CEO of ingredients supplier HP Ingredients (Bradenton, FL), “the key focus is on immune support—and rightfully so.”

 made consumers increasingly aware of the risks associated with CVD, says Steven Riley, director of marketing and consumer sales for UK-based ingredients supplier OptiBiotix Health PLC. After all, he says, “We now know that clinical outcomes are worse in patients with COVID-19 that have cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.”

“Compared to the general population, people with cardiovascular disease were more than twice as likely to contract severe forms of COVID-19,” notes Dominik Mattern, vice president, marketing, Kappa Bioscience (Oslo, Norway). “Thromboembolism and microvascular thrombosis are common in severe COVID-19 cases, and a leading cause of death.”

Pandemic or no pandemic, cardiovascular wellness remains very important to adults, especially those in middle-age hoping to stave off potentially devastating cardiac events. “According to the latest information from the World Heart Federation,” shares Riley, “there are 520 million people currently living with cardiovascular disease. As such, it remains the world’s number one killer, causing 19 million deaths per year, which is mainly from heart attacks and strokes.”

Sam Michini, vice president of marketing and strategy, Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes (Kennesaw, GA), raises other reasons why middle-aged adults might focus more on cardiovascular health—such as when they have a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle who has experienced a heart attack or has a debilitating heart condition. “It shoots up the priority list when one suffers a cardiac incident, which tends to be a spontaneous devastating event.”

The “prevention mindset” motivates these people especially to seek the health insurance of cardio-support supplements, he says.

Marianne McDonagh, vice president of sales for Bioenergy Life Science (Ham Lake, MN), agrees. “Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the western world, largely due to culture and lifestyle, and conventional medicine has done very little to decrease these chronic illnesses with pharmaceutical applications and assorted procedures. This has created a surge and increased interest in dietary supplements to support and maintain heart health.”

The desire to take a more active role in shoring up heart health will only be further spurred by the pandemic, says Jonathan Jones, PhD, chief scientific officer for ingredients supplier Monteloeder (Spain). “There is a rising interest in health as a whole. During the past year and a half, many consumers have been under lockdowns, with some countries still in strict living conditions.” He notes that “this lack of mobility, together with an increase in stress-induced binge eating and drinking, has had a negative impact on our health. Now that the countries are starting to open up, consumers are looking to get back in shape, fast.”

Jones, for instance, is intrigued by how digital consumer wearables add to the interest in heart health for consumers, advising that products such as Apple Watch and Fitbit trackers “have been working hard in developing the technology to track heart health parameters” such as heart rate, ECG, etc. For Jones, beyond the pandemic, the accessibility of this technology has increased awareness among consumers—which, he says, “has had an impact on their need for heart health solutions.”

The Heart Health Business: Alive and Ticking

Ingredient suppliers serving the heart health supplements market are also enhancing their own solutions. In the past year, several ingredient companies took notable steps to further their cardiovascular portfolio.

In July of this year, Ingredients by Nature (IBN; Montclair, CA) acquired the Sytrinol brand from Lonza

, an ingredient said to provide powerful support for the heart by influencing healthy cholesterol levels, healthy LDL levels, and healthy triglyceride levels.

 IBN plans to explore the synergistic combination of Sytrinol with its clinically backed lemon flavonoid brand Eriomin, the latter studied for its role in prediabetes management. By coupling the ingredients, “the combo may have even greater potential for prediabetes management and cardiovascular support,” according to a company press release.

Says Rob Brewster, president, IBN, “Sometimes we make the mistake of sticking an ingredient into a box, but by thinking outside that box, we realize the interconnectivity of the different systems that maintain good health.”

He adds, “Heart health ingredients are just like that. Yes, the primary purpose of Sytrinol is to help the heart and cardiovascular system, but in doing so, there are other challenges that can be addressed, too.”

As examples, Brewster points to the possibility of the combined ingredients potentially playing a role in immune health and weight management, two areas that are intertwined with heart health. “That is why we want to explore how Sytrinol combines with other ingredients, especially flavonoids, and to expand on existing science with new and innovative research,” he says.

According to Brewster, IBN is “still in the ideation process of this.” The company intends to “run some internal studies to make sure that this combo is viable and effective,” he says.

Brewster adds, “We are currently finishing up a very promising SHIME study on Eriomin and may follow up with one on Sytrinol to see how it influences the microbiome as well.” He promises to share more information when available, which he expects to be in 2022 at the earliest.

Meanwhile, HP Ingredients strengthened its bergamot supply chain with its June 2021 announcement that it had purchased a stake in the Italian company Herbal & Antioxidant Derivatives (H&AD). According to the press release, HP Ingredients has been the exclusive North American sales and marketing partner for H&AD’s Bergamonte ingredient, a full-spectrum bergamot extract, since 2008, and a major contributor to H&AD’s revenue. The press release further advised that HP Ingredients has been brought in as a shareholder, with Eng now serving as one of the four directors of H&AD.

Eng is enthusiastic about the current science behind Bergamonte, including 12 published human clinical trials examining the beneficial role for the branded ingredient in heart health. She’s equally enthusiastic about the continuing research and development opportunities.

She envisions opportunities in those areas for other citrus ingredients as well, advising that “we are finding that more consumers and brands are strongly associating citrus with more than immune resilience.” In addition to bergamot, she says they are linking grapefruits, lemons, limes, and oranges with a host of other health benefits, including those for heart health.

On another front, OptiBiotix—and its subsidiary ProBiotix Health—continues its global expansion with several announced extensions of commercial agreements that will enable wider international distribution for several of its heart health–focused ingredients and products. According to company press releases, these include WellBiome, a functional fiber and mineral blend; and its branded line of finished product, CholBiome, which contains LPLDL, a patented probiotic strain.

 In September 2020, OptiBiotix launched what the company called “an innovative tri-layer tablet” branded as CholBiomeBP and positioned it as a blood pressure support product.

According to Riley, while there are many dual-layered solutions available in the market today, tri-layered solutions remain highly innovative. He explains that the specialized technology used in the range of CholBiome products enables each of the three-to-four ingredients per product to work in synergy and be released at optimal times to increase overall effectiveness. In the case of CholBiomeBP, says Riley, “Thiamine and L-arginine are released immediately; then, approximately two hours after ingestion, our patented probiotic strain LPLDL is released. Between four and six hours after the tablet is consumed, the final layer releases with CoQ10,” ensuring that the active ingredients experience increased stability and survivability after ingestion.

Even as companies count on business deals to improve the fortunes of the heart health category, there is recognition that at the end of the day, science is the beating heart of what will move the industry forward.

Kaneka Probiotics (Pasadena, TX) saw positive results from a recent heart health study using its branded ingredient, Floradapt Cardio, a multi-strain probiotic formulation comprising three strains of 

 (CECT7527, CECT7528, and CECT7529). The 12-week randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy of red yeast rice (as 10 mg of monacolin K) combined with the three-strain probiotic. The study population consisted of 39 adults with total cholesterol of ≥200 mg/dL who were statin-naïve or had recently stopped statin treatment because of intolerance.

The researchers concluded that “this combination of 10 mg of monacolin K and 

 strains was well tolerated and achieved a statistically significant greater reduction in LDL-C and TC in the intervention group compared to the placebo, once adjusting for recent history of hypercholesterolemia treatment.”

The researchers further advised that this particular combination of 

strains was chosen because it had previously been shown to lower cholesterol in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

 as well as shown to have high bile salt hydrolase activity and good safety data.

The significance of bile in the cholesterol equation is “the primary mechanism behind probiotics for heart health,” Shastri believes. He explains that “it’s not commonly known that only about 15%-30% of circulating cholesterol comes from the diet. The rest is synthesized by the liver or recirculated in our bile salts.”

According to Shastri, Floradapt Cardio deconjugates bile salts into bile acids, rendering the bile acids less soluble and thereby increasing the excretion of cholesterol.

AB-Biotics, a Kaneka group company, funded the study

, supplied the probiotic strains, and was involved in data analysis.

, published in November 2020, demonstrated the efficacy of Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes’ branded probiotic 

 DE111 in promoting healthy endothelial function and supporting healthy cholesterol levels, according to the company’s press release.

Specifically, the research team found that 

 DE111 supplementation of 1 billion CFU per day resulted in significant reduction in total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol relative to baseline measures. The team also observed a strong trend toward reduction in LDL cholesterol as well as improvement in endothelial function. It also saw reactive hyperemia index (RHI), an indicator of blood flow and heart health, increase by 9.14%.

“There are several studies showing the effect of other probiotics on heart health,” says John Deaton, PhD, Deerland’s vice president of science and technology. However, he says, “Our study shows a heart benefit from an inherently stable spore-forming probiotic that is resistant to most manufacturing and storage stressors.”

“Further,” he adds, “the study clarifies a clear ‘beyond digestion’ health benefit that can be conferred by a spore-forming probiotic strain. This is important in defining the health benefits of 

 DE111 to enable consumers to know more about the differences between strains and which to turn to for the specific functional categories they are interested in.”

Kaneka also has consumers in mind. Shastri points out that while “probiotic applications for cardiovascular health are still in the early adopter stage,” he has seen research indicating that there’s a large gap between the number of people searching for probiotics for cardiovascular health and the number of probiotic products available on the market to support heart health. He shares that according to market research from Lumina Intelligence, during the 2017-2020 time frame, there were only 14 probiotic finished products marketed for cardiovascular health in the U.S., despite what he calls a “dramatic 1146% increase” during the same time frame in online searches and product reviews from U.S. consumers for that category.

Published research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, and the Department of Health and Human Services in the U.S., reviewed the role of mitochondrial metabolism as it may relate to HFpEF pathophysiology—and the potential mechanisms by which dietary ingredients ubiquinol and D-ribose may impact mitochondrial function. This news was shared by Bioenergy Life Science, which supplies a branded D-ribose ingredient, Bioenergy Ribose.

In the paper, the researchers stated: “HFpEF is a common and often debilitating disease process that may be difficult to diagnose and has limited targeted therapeutic options. Mitochondrial dysfunction appears to play a significant role in the pathophysiologic processes of this clinical syndrome. Improved methods of diagnosis for HFpEF are needed, as are specific effective therapies. Active ongoing research into the roles of ubiquinol and D-ribose in HFpEF may provide clinicians with additional management opportunities.”

The researchers noted that in their current clinical trial, they “believe supplemental oral D-ribose provides patients with HFpEF the extra substrate to bypass the G6PDH step and potentially increase the myocardial ATP levels. Though we are unable to measure myocardial ATP levels directly, we are obtaining blood ATP measurements in HFpEF patients receiving 15 g of D-ribose or placebo over 12 weeks. Since this current blinded study is still in progress, we are unable to report these data, but we will have a more in-depth metabolic explanation after study completion.”

 The study was projected to conclude in March 2021 but results were not shared by the time this article was written.

More cardiovascular science is in the works for Bioenergy Life Science’s ingredients, McDonagh says. “We are currently studying both Bioenergy Ribose and RiaGev for new parameters within the heart health category.”

Kappa Bioscience, known for its pure, all-trans vitamin K2 MK-7 ingredient, faces an interesting challenge. Vitamin K has been around for a very long time, but despite the vitamin’s longevity, Kappa Bioscience’s Mattern says that not only consumers, but even the industry, tend to overlook vitamin K.

But, he says, “What could be seen as a challenge might actually be an opportunity, as many still do not know about the difference between vitamins K1 and K2, their roles, and how this impacts their health benefits.”

From a dietary supplement perspective, for instance, vitamin K2 has been shown to make vitamin D3 products better, safer, and more effective, Mattern says. He adds that “this is new news to many, including [healthcare] practitioners. More benefit awareness for K2 will highly influence consumer purchasing behavior. Consequently, investment into communication and education is needed; that is a true and valid recipe for every trailblazer in the ingredient business.”

Part of that recipe also includes an ongoing commitment to science. According to Trygve Bergeland, PhD, vice president, science, Kappa Bioscience, “Two of Kappa Bioscience’s research partners are working on clinical trials in the cardiovascular health area using our K2VITAL pure all-trans vitamin K2 MK-7. Both of the [trials are] assessing arterial calcification reduction and potential cardiovascular parameters improvement thanks to supplementation.”

More specifically, Bergeland advises, “In the AVADEC trial, supervised by a research team from the Odense University Hospital, in Denmark, the last participant finalized the study in early 2021, and now an extensive analysis is ongoing.” He notes that the study population consisted of 400 patients diagnosed with aortic valve calcification.

The InterVitaminK trial, planned by the Frederiksberg Hospital, also in Denmark, has similar objectives, but is looking at a healthy population of 450. Inclusion is about to start, and the trial is expected to take three years. Bergeland says the protocol for this randomized controlled trial was presented in September at the International Vitamin Conference in Copenhagen.

“After being overlooked by scientists for decades,” says Bergeland, “vitamin K2 is coming back under their radar, as many areas are still to be explored.”

HP Ingredients’ Eng advises that her company’s LJ100 tongkat ali 

was shown in a recently published study to improve cardiorespiratory fitness in men with androgen deficiency (ADAM). In the study, 45 men took either LJ100 or placebo for six months while concurrently working out. Those taking the supplement experienced an approximately 10% greater reduction in ADAM symptoms than those in the placebo and workout group.

Monteloeder has science news, too. According to a company press release, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in spring 2021 demonstrated that daily consumption of the company’s proprietary Metabolaid branded botanical extract ingredient was able to significantly reduce blood pressure. The most remarkable results were observed in the daytime measurements—particularly in systolic blood pressure, which showed a decrease of 5%. The study was conducted in a population of 80 unmedicated, slightly hypertensive subjects over an 84-day period.

There’s more to come, says Jones. “We are currently working on analyzing the effect of combining our branded ingredients with a mobile app that helps manage consumer behavior towards a healthy lifestyle. The most relevant outcomes in this study are weight loss and blood pressure,” he says.

There’s no question that supporting science through research grants or supplying ingredients or involvement in proper study design can go a long way for ingredient suppliers and finished product manufacturers. Not to mention consumers.

But what about the critics, those who prefer not to see any involvement from industry?

According to Deerland’s Deaton, “Some would argue that industry funding of scientific studies introduces bias, but this isn’t always the case, and ethical suppliers know how to ensure bias is not introduced. There are ways to prevent bias in supplier-funded research via the introduction of protective check points.”

He refers specifically to the recent cardiovascular health study

 for which Deerland not only supplied the ingredients and study funding but also collaborated with the university on the study design protocol as an example of how to do things properly.

Deaton says protection from bias was in place via the fact that the university performing the study was independent from his company. The statisticians analyzing the data were also independent, and the study was approved by an independent Institutional Review Board (IRB) that received no financial compensation.

He adds that “the study was also double-blinded to prevent the researchers from knowing who was receiving the placebo or the probiotic treatment. The final checkpoint in place was that the findings of the study were written by the university researchers and then submitted to a scientific journal that requires review from experts [before publication] that were in no way affiliated with the study or our company.”

Deaton emphasizes that “as long as check points like these are in place, then the quality and validity of industry-funded studies can be on par with those that rely on other sources of funding.”

And, he concludes, as long as companies use protective checkpoints to prevent bias, “it is good and helpful for them to financially support science.” After all, unlike well-funded drug studies, nutraceutical research often needs an additional boost. “This support helps promote applied research directly relating to consumer health needs that may not otherwise occur. It also helps ensure that products available to consumers, and the claims used to market them, are backed by valid science,” he says.

Monteloeder’s Jones is also a proponent of industry support for science. “Funding science is vital in order to advance in the field,” he says. “This is the same situation that exists in clinical research for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, or any other major disease. Without private funding, we would not have the current knowledge nor available treatments that exist today.”

“In addition,” he says, “an important part of our funding comes from public grants; therefore, these studies have been previously analyzed by scientific experts and validated by public authorities. Furthermore, all our studies are published in peer-reviewed journals, and we ensure to make them available for anyone to read.”

According to Jones, Monteloeder provided the ingredients and participated in the study design and interpretation of the results of the aforementioned study.19(19) His company also provided funding, as did several national and international public organizations, including the Horizon 2020 project from the European Union.

“Science is part of our DNA,” he says, “so for us, having a deep knowledge of our botanicals, from the raw materials to extraction process, formulations, mechanisms of actions, and clinical efficiency, are of utmost importance.”

Bioenergy Life Science’s McDonagh also disagrees with the criticism of industry involvement, stating that “we advocate for all new research, even when funded by independent companies or universities, because research often reveals new awareness and discoveries. Additionally, by funding primary research using our branded ingredients, we can validate the ability of our specific ingredients, versus commodity brands, to deliver scientific benefits.”

Company-funded research also enables a company to demonstrate safety and efficacy for consumers. “Ethically speaking,” she says, “all researchers must disclose their conflicts of interest while drafting the manuscript for publication, and if this is done properly, there is no basis for a Catch-22 situation.”

Investing in science will also secure the long-term health and growth of the heart health category. As of now, the category could use it.

Brewster of Ingredients by Nature refers to market research from 

 (NBJ) showing that while 2020 saw slightly better growth in the heart health category than in 2019, the category is expected to experience slower growth in 2021 and 2022—5.9 percent% and 3.6%, respectively

—because the pandemic caused most attention to shift to immune health.

And Deerland’s Michini paints a similar picture. He says NBJ’s annual Condition Specific Report projects heart health supplements to grow at an estimated rate of only 1.5% in 2023, which, he says, NBJ characterizes as “the worst growth year in the category in recent memory.”

“It’s an interesting challenge,” says Brewster, “because the health risks from the pandemic are made worse for consumers with preexisting cardiovascular challenges, but most consumers are focused more on short-term changes than looking at the big picture. This means it is important to develop products that fit into certain lifestyle scenarios that they can feel comfortable incorporating now that will also benefit them farther down the road.”

“One way to do this,” he advises, “is to figure out how to make heart health ingredients cross over into other areas as well. If we look at heart health from a more holistic sense, it may help to improve the situation. For example, we know that there is a connection between unhealthy blood glucose levels and unhealthy cholesterol, so by catering to consumers looking for improved blood sugar support, we can also help them with their heart health.”

“There are other categories that heart health ingredients can help with, too,” Brewster adds. “It just takes approaching the category from a new angle.”

Probiotics is one of those. Speaking about probiotics as an emerging heart health ingredient, Deerland’s Michini advises that probiotics are a vastly encompassing supplement category and, as such, require more specificity. “It has more marketable strains than the vitamin/mineral category has; therefore, it is essential to distinguish the powers of each strain and/or species. This would entail thoughtful positioning by brand marketers and, in turn, educated retailers.”

Kaneka’s Shastri advises consumers not to expect that by simply taking a probiotic, or any other nutrient for that matter, that a cardiovascular benefit will result. He believes consumer expectations should be modulated by the published science for that given effect on a particular nutrient.

In the case of probiotics, in order for there to be a benefit, “first the strains have to demonstrate a hypolipidemic effect in a randomized, placebo-controlled setting, and second, the finished product needs to have the identical potency as seen in the clinical trial,” he points out. Shastri says that’s the case with his company’s three-strain probiotic and another reason why Kaneka believes having sound science behind ingredients is vital to the category’s growth.

And then, of course, there is the issue of communicating the benefits to consumers under a regulatory framework for supplements that doesn’t reward results from clinical trials with relevant claims.

Monteloeder’s Jones has some experience with that challenge. He says, “Product labeling is a balancing act to send the right message that resonates with the consumers while complying with the norms defined by the regulatory agencies.”

He understands why that’s important. “While this may seem unfair at first, especially if the claims are backed by solid science, it is important to maintain a strict level of contingency of what can be placed on a label. This increases consumer trust in the products in the market, as they are ensured that the claim complies with FDA/FTC regulations,” he says.

Jones reminds the industry that “there are many examples in the past where non-based claims have been applied to products that have turned out to be false, losing consumer trust that can ultimately affect the industry as a whole.”

But Jones does have one regulatory wish that results from a marketplace reality.

“On the other hand,” he says, “the nutraceutical landscape is a fast-shifting market strongly based on innovation, focused on consumer needs, in almost real time. Unfortunately, the regulatory bodies do not move at the same speed. Therefore, the industry as a whole would greatly benefit from a more agile regulatory body allowing faster innovations to appear in the market—of course, always considering consumer safety above all else.”

Riley of OptiBiotix agrees that there can be challenges when selling a product that does not have approved health claims. He also points to the challenges of differing country and continent regulations for quality, efficacy, and safety regulations. “Since regulatory frameworks can change from time to time, manufacturers and distributors must keep abreast of the different regulations to market their products effectively,” he states.

But Riley remains optimistic. “By using our collective scientific knowledge and combining it with the advancements in technology, we can make a significant difference in people’s lives, therefore decreasing the burden on global medical establishments and improving quality of life,” he says.

Mattern, of Kappa Bioscience, points to more reasons to be optimistic, citing insights from a recent report published by FMCG Gurus surveying tens of thousands of consumers worldwide. For example, he says, the report shares that “three in four consumers in North America plan to improve their heart health over the next twelve months,” and “56% regularly research about ingredients that can improve their health.”

HP Ingredients’ Eng has an interesting twist on marketing the category. “Find ways to ‘reinvent’ what heart health means,” she says. “Get it out of the ‘for older folks only’ category and reinvigorate it for younger, healthy adults who want to remain physically vivacious.”

“Looking into the future,” says Eng, “as the Millennial generation enters middle-age, we see a great resurgence in focus on cardiovascular wellness but beyond choosing fish oils or CoQ10 for cholesterol management. This generation has been raised with the understanding that a healthy lifestyle can and will pay dividends for their well-being in the future; they self-educate and purchase supplements routinely. Cardiovascular health is integral to overall fitness, and this understanding is very strong with the younger generations.”

“For consumers, it’s not only about finding a dietary supplement that can aid their cardiovascular health,” says Riley. “It’s about discovering one that can effectively reduce their cardiovascular risk, either now or in the future.”

vol. 128, no. 8 (April 16, 2021): 1214-1236

Does the COVID-19 pandemic impact parents’ and adolescents’ well-being? An EMA-study on daily affect and parenting

Ingredients by Nature Acquires Sytrinol Heart Health Ingredient from Lonza

Effect of citrus flavonoids and tocotrienols on serum cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects

Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 

Despite the attention on COVID-19, heart disease is still the number one killer. Can dietary supplements play a role in heart health?

Heart disease remains the world's biggest health threat. Here’s the latest on nutrition ingredients to help us care for the heart.

As in every other CPG category, plant-based products in the dietary supplements space are receiving a warm welcome. So warm is that welcome that Future Market Insights forecasts a CAGR of 10.9% for the global vegan—that’s 

 not just vegetarian—supplement market from 2020 to 2028.

Yet while growing plant-based demand raises the profit prospects for makers of botanical blends, phytonutrient-driven antioxidant formulas, and non-marine omega-3s, those profits will materialize only if manufacturers see plant-based in the big picture.

Namely, says Lindsey Toth, associate director, global marketing, Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients (Basel, Switzerland), “What’s most important for brands developing new plant-based supplements is to think and plan holistically—

 Yes, your ingredients are critical components of the formula, but what’s often forgotten is dosage form.”

As plant-based options continuously improve, though, dosage forms will remain forgotten no longer.

Consumer interest in plant-based dietary supplements—and all the health and eco virtues they embody—won’t likely surprise industry insiders.

It certainly doesn’t surprise Toth, who’s witnessed rising demand not only for supplements with plant-based pedigrees but for products that address a whole constellation of trending positions—from vegan and organic to GMO-free and just-plain “clean.” In fact, she says, “Today, 79% of consumers value products made from natural, clean sources.

All of which leads Michael Baumann, global strategic marketing manager, IFF (New York City), to conclude that “whether they’re being more eco-conscious or going plant-based, consumers are becoming more selective in choosing products that fit their lifestyles and dietary restrictions. Manufacturers must adapt.”

That means adapting supplement dosage forms, as well.

Proprietary Lonza research found that 70% of U.S. consumers say that dosage form factors into their supplement choices, Toth says.

And many of those consumers are looking for plant-based options “across multiple supplement categories,” adds Dan Peizer, vice president, global strategy and marketing, consumer health, Catalent Inc. (Somerset, NJ).

Take botanicals, which are a key focus “because of their alignment with the plant-based message,” Peizer claims, while the entry into the market of plant-based omega-3s like ahiflower also promises to stoke demand for plant-based delivery.

Alas, supplement platforms like hard capsules, softgels, and gummies have traditionally been the domain of gelatin-based dosage forms—and still are.

“There is, without doubt, increasing demand for non-animal varieties,” admits Angie Rimel, marketing communications manager, Gelita USA (Sioux City, IA). “But the gelatin market remains both buoyant, and dominant.”

Per Innova Market Insights’ database, roughly 90% of the softgel and hard-cap universe relies on gelatin as a dosage form, she notes, with approximately 90% of the latest supplement launches in the gelatin category comprising products like hard-caps, softgels, and gummies.

And as far as Liz Clarke is concerned, there’s “good reason” for gelatin’s ubiquity: “Its physical properties, including thermoreversibility and pH-independent gelling, are simply unmatched by current plant-based ingredients,” says the technical marketing manager for North America at Nitta Gelatin NA (Morrisville, NC).

Gelatin’s performance and operational benefits begin with its economy and simplicity relative to plant-based options. Case in point: Rimel notes that gelatin-capsule production requires 40% less raw material than does capsule production using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), gelatin’s chief plant-based counterpart.

“Gelatin capsules also gain the upper hand when machineability and efficacy are the performance standards,” Rimel continues. Capsule shells must form “very thin and precisely cast films,” she explains, and both gelatin and even carrageenan accomplish this easily; the process with starch-based ingredients like HPMC, by contrast, “can be slow and more complex.”

Gelatin capsules permit less oxygen entry than does HPMC, which is a boon when delivering oxidation-sensitive formulations. To supply the same protection, Rimel says, HPMC capsules would either have to incorporate an antioxidant or use airtight blister-and-foil packaging.

And pharma-grade gelatins generally dissolve readily for quick payload release, Rimel says, disintegrating within three minutes once digested. Meantime, “The dissolution and disintegration times for standard HPMC hard-caps are longer, and issues have been reported with inconsistent and unreliable release.”

Clarke reminds brands to consider ingredient availability when moving beyond gelatin. “There’s no denying that supply chains everywhere are still experiencing COVID-induced stress,” she says, “and the complexity of manufacturing inputs for some plant-based gelatin alternative can raise additional hurdles.”

So whereas a hard gelatin capsule requires one ingredient for production—hint: 

—an HPMC capsule “requires many other chemical inputs,” Clarke says, “including ethylene and propylene oxide—two ingredients that have seen critical availability disruptions and wild price swings over the past year.”

Finally, “Gelatin is a natural, single-ingredient product that’s been used in home kitchens for more than 80 years,” Clarke declares. “Many plant-based offerings, including HPMC, are highly processed, synthetic ingredients considered food additives.” And ultimately, she believes, even an animal-origin ingredient “that’s natural and not genetically modified may be more attractive than a highly processed plant-based ingredient that is.”

So gelatin’s got a lot going for it. But it also has drawbacks.

“Many consumers know what it’s like to leave gelatin-based gummies in the car on a sunny day,” Baumann points out. “The gummies lose their shape and form a big lump.” And while that drawback is obvious to consumers, others are all too apparent to manufacturers.

Among them are potential ingredient interactions, and subsequent stability issues, as well as the high moisture content (roughly 12% to 14%) of gelatin capsule shells. By contrast, Baumann says, the 4% to 6% moisture of HPMC-based capsules “better protects hygroscopic and moisture-sensitive ingredients while providing chemical stability against crosslinking.”

Thus, observes Udo Losehand, head of global technical developers, Roquette (Geneva, IL), “Despite gelatin’s numerous plus points, manufacturers are exploring alternative materials to overcome these challenges and meet consumer preferences for plant-based.”

Initially, those alternatives shrank in gelatin’s shadow, often failing to live up to the latter’s performance and quality characteristics.

Fortunately, “Plant-based delivery has undoubtedly come a long way over the last decade,” Peizer insists. Following HPMC’s development in the 1950s, he claims, “Additional plant-based technologies have been introduced that provide robust non-gelatin options to meet consumer needs and technical flexibility to allow for a greater range of formulation and fill options.”

When choosing amongst the technologies, he advises focusing on those that provide “all the functional and aesthetic benefits consumers have come to expect from traditional materials while adding benefits that appeal to both consumers and brands.”

For example, Peizer’s noticed “a lot of interest” in Catalent’s Vegicaps softgels, which he says exhibit all the experiential benefits of gelatin-based products—including perceptions of improved swallowability—while offering formulators a wider formulation range and the potential for use in certified-vegan products, too.

Adds Toth, “Make sure the form suits the ingredients you’re working with. Some may be light- or moisture-sensitive, while others need protection from stomach acid, for example. And consider the full process—from target consumer needs through filling and machinability.”

Research led Lonza to tried-and-true HPMC for its Capsugel Vcaps and Vcaps Plus capsules, which Toth calls “ideal” for protecting moisture-labile ingredients like herbs and minerals, and for offering an immediate-release profile. “We can add gelling technology to our base HPMC polymer to modify a capsule’s release profile further—useful when working with acid-sensitive ingredients.”

And for the company’s Plantcaps capsules, pullulan—an ingredient produced via tapioca fermentation—was the choice. It protects oxygen-sensitive ingredients, releases actives rapidly, and enables organic labeling in the U.S., Toth says, making Plantcaps “the ultimate dosage form for clean-label formulations.”

Baumann advocates alginate-based coatings for delayed-release tablets and capsules, wherein actives need protection from the stomach’s acid as they travel toward absorption in the intestines. Made from brown seaweed, alginates maintain the supplement’s integrity throughout digestion, Baumann says; but even when immediate release is required, “cellulose-based superdisintegrants can create fast action in tablets, capsules, granules, orally disintegrating tablets, and chewables.”

And while Baumann says that plant-based softgels have historically lacked gelatin’s “great sealing properties” and high fill capacities—achieving only 50% to 70% capacity even with simple fills compared to gelatin’s typical fill of 85% to 100% of a softgel’s volume—IFF developed its “optimized shell-forming” SeaGel system specifically to meet such standards and replicate gelatin’s flexibility in size, shape, and fill options.

Losehand notes that Roquette put the pea-starch dosage forms in its Lycagel line through their paces in capsule applications and found that—among other benefits—the ingredients yielded dry times of four to five days, which compare well to the three to four days that gelatin softgels typically require.

“In terms of capsule performance,” Losehand continues, “one of the best characteristics of high-performance pea starch is its strength relative to gelatin and ability to maintain structural integrity during production and storage.” Tests even showed that the products maintained a hardness of 19.1 N after six months at 25°C and 60% relative humidity, and 17.3 N after 12 months at 20°C.

Pea starch’s absence of crosslinking also means no significant increase in capsule disintegration during storage, Losehand adds. In tests, the product demonstrated a disintegration time of less than eight minutes after both 12 months at 20°C and six months at 40°C and 75% relative humidity, he says. “Further tests revealed that our pea-starch capsules showed no leakage or sticking, and do not exceed 8% moisture at 25°C and 60% relative humidity, and at 20°C,” he adds.

But while plant-based dosage forms have largely tamed capsules and softgels, gummies have proven tougher to subdue.

That’s because gelatin creates a “unique melt-in-the-mouth experience and texture” that consumers have grown accustomed to, Baumann says. That standard has historically laid outside plant-based ingredients’ reach, but technologies involving carrageenan, starch, agar, and pectin are improving.

Pectin in particular is “an exceptional gummy gel former,” Baumann says, lending a “soft, tender mouthfeel and much cleaner, shorter bite.” Its uniform gelling properties make for what he calls “a clean-cut, shiny appearance” with superior taste and flavor release, to boot. Baumann also praises pectin’s “effective setting time and stability during storage and shipment.”

“But not all pectin is created equal,” Bauman cautions. “Pectin tailored for gummy supplements—like Grindsted Pectin CF Premium grades—allow label claims, easy implementation, and efficient processing.”

Scott Bergeron, director of sales, coatings, Americas, Mantrose-Haeuser Company, Inc./NatureSeal Inc. (Westport, CT), notes that Mantrose-Haeuser has expanded its range of plant-based Certicoat anti-sticking polishes for gummy vitamins. Made with plant-based waxes and oils, the clean-label coatings not only make gummies look better in the package—enabling matte or high-gloss finishes, he says—but extend shelf life while providing good surface lubricity and flowability.

Several certified-organic options are also available, Bergeron adds. “Sustainability and environmental impact are important in consumers’ decisions,” he says. “By offering high-quality plant-based products with superior processing benefits and a wide range of finishes, we’re empowering manufacturers to offer customized delivery systems to their customers.”

Clarke notes that gummy formulators will even turn to blends of animal- and plant-based gelling agents both to optimize workability and to create “unique new textures,” as she calls them. “This is an exciting space to be in, because it allows product developers to go from short to bouncy to chewy and anything between.”

But perhaps best of all, it proves that “there’s room in the delivery-systems world for all kinds of ingredients,” Clarke says, “and much to consider beyond simply plant- or animal-based.”

Natural Marketing Institute data. Supplements/OTC/Rx Trends, U.S. and Global Databases (SORD) – U.S., Germany, Italy, UK, France, Japan, Brazil. 2019, 2020.

Proprietary Lonza U.S. survey data via Suzy, n=1000. 2020. Unpublished.

What are key considerations when deciding between plant-based and gelatin delivery systems?

Plant-based dietary supplement and vitamin dosage forms take on the giant: gelatin

If any historians are already drafting their accounts of the pandemic’s effect on supplement sales, it’s unlikely they’ll give omega-3 fatty acids the same coverage they will higher-profile immune boosters like vitamins C, D, and E, and zinc.

So it’s probably a good thing that historians 

yet writing that final analysis, as unfolding evidence continues to paint omega-3s as potentially powerful mediators of inflammation and the immune response in their own right.

In fact, the entire omega-3 space is bubbling with ferment as investigations into unanticipated health effects, “new” omega-3s, and a widening role for plant-based sources proceed—reminding consumers and industry alike that these fatty acids deserve a spot in the history books.

Ellen Schutt, executive director, Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED; Salt Lake City, UT), describes omega-3 sales at the height of 2020’s pandemonium as “a roller coaster,” with the ride stabilizing only by the year’s fourth quarter and the category’s overall take benefiting mightily from online purchases—a trend that “we expect to continue,” she says.

Fortunately, the omega-3 market entered lockdown in a position of strength, adds Nena Dockery, scientific and regulatory affairs manager, Stratum Nutrition (Carthage, MO), and remained there throughout its progress, thanks to growing awareness that nutritional interventions “might either help prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus or offset some of the devastating symptoms of the disease,” she says.

And while omega-3s haven’t historically played a large part in such immune-support interventions, “Multiple research studies have investigated their role, either alone or in conjunction with other ingredients, on inflammation’s link to immunity,” Dockery says.

The entire omega-3 space is bubbling with innovation as investigations grow into unanticipated health effects, “new” omega-3s, and a widening role for plant-based sources.

Nutritional Outlook Vol. 24 No. 9

Fiber forward: Where are fiber food ingredient trends heading?

Plant protein’s new players

Heart disease remains the world's biggest health threat. Here’s the latest on nutrition ingredients to help us care for the heart.

Plant-based dietary supplement and vitamin dosage forms take on the giant: gelatin

Diving Deep: Omega-3 ingredient exploration unlocks a new world of benefits

From strength to strength: Maintaining consumer motivation in the protein food, beverage, and supplement market

Collagen on the cutting edge: The next generation of collagen ingredients

Candyceuticals: The new nutritional delivery system?

Greatest of care: The bar for studying infant and children’s supplements is high—and so are the challenges

More than just sex: When it comes to nutrition research, study designs need to be more holistic, says a leading scientist

Recent court decision upholds the legality of the GRAS process