Once known for its adulterated products and significant risks, the sexual health supplement market is on the rebound. In fact, it’s expected to grow by 

$801.29 million from 2022 to 2026, representing a CAGR of 10.41%

 One the one hand, says Mariko Hill, global innovation manager at Gencor (Austin, TX), this growth can be attributed to the mainstreaming of notions like libido and sexual health; on the other, consumer awareness of supplements’ ability to naturally address libido, sexual desire, and hormonal issues is also on the upswing.

“Brands are making sexual health supplements trendy—or ‘sexier’—by good marketing and the delivery of clinical evidence regarding the ingredients in the formula,” says Hill. In turn, consumers are willing to spend more money in the category. “Consumers want to buy from a brand they trust with clinically validated ingredients,” says Elise Kaiser, vice president of sales, North America, at Ixoreal Biomed (Los Angeles, CA).

Perhaps most significantly, market growth can largely be attributed to the widening of the consumer audience. According to Carlos Rodriguez, communication manager at Pharmactive Biotech Products SLU (Madrid, Spain), there is a shift in who’s using the products; once reserved for men, women are now getting in on the action, seeking out products for sexual performance, appetite, and pleasure.

“Male sexual performance has definitely traditionally been the driving force behind why consumers gravitate towards most of these supplements,” agrees Ixoreal’s Kaiser. “However, even sexual health supplements for women are now gaining traction.”

Sexual health is not a new category. What is new is what consumers demand of their sexual health products. Instead of a silver bullet, today’s consumers seek a holistic approach that addresses sexual health in a nourishing way and also takes into account lifestyle habits and other factors that can impact sexual health.

To that end, HP Ingredients’ (Bradenton, FL) new sexual health ingredient for women, Nu-Femme—a combination of 400 mg of 

extract plus 100 mg of the company’s flagship LJ100 

 or tongkat ali, ingredient—is designed for perimenopausal and menopausal women and shows promise via its first published study in 2020. Researchers recruited 119 women aged 41 to 55 to take part in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which 60 consumed 500 mg of Nu-Femme and 59 took a placebo for 24 weeks. The Nu-Femme group showed a significant increase in vitality at week 12 and week 24, whereas a significant improvement in vitality scores was only observed at week 24 for the placebo group.

 Plus, Nu-Femme showed an increase of 21% in vitality index scores, whereas the increase in the placebo group was only 14% at the end of week 24.

Underscoring the need for a holistic approach, HP Ingredients put LJ100 to another sex health test in 2021. Researchers randomized 45 middle-aged men with androgen deficiency into four groups: placebo only, supplement only, training plus placebo, and training plus supplement. After six months, sexual satisfaction scores increased significantly for those taking the supplement (29%); however, sexual satisfaction increased by 35% for those that supplemented and also integrated training into their routines.

“It appears that, from conversations with our customers, they are looking to provide a more holistic type of approach, not just something that promotes ‘hard and fast’ [results], but a product that provides a more nourishing effect, promoting hormonal balance with a nutritional edge,” says Annie Eng, CEO of HP Ingredients.

Also meeting this trend is Testofen, an ingredient for men from Gencor, which was the subject of five clinical studies supporting its benefits for sexual desire and vitality, muscle mass, and testosterone levels. “Supplementing diets with products containing Testofen and incorporating regular resistance exercise can help men maintain healthy levels of free testosterone that are already within normal range—which, in turn, supports multiple bodily functions

” explains Maggie McNamara, marketing director at Gencor.

As it turns out, the original holistic sex health ingredients, adaptogens, are still going strong—with some health-boosting advances.

 is offered as a standalone powder standardized to 20% beta-glucans, offering similar biomolecular properties as sexual health mainstay 

without any of the taxonomic controversy. “Cordyceps contains high amounts of adenosine, which is the precursor to adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the universal energy currency powering cellular work,” says Nirmal Nair, CEO and founder of Sempera Organics. “Sexual health aside, 

presents a huge range of biological activities including anti-inflammation, immune stimulation, enhanced physical performance and endurance, promotion of restful sleep, and improvement of depression, all of which promote sexual health indirectly to some degree.”

KSM-66 Ashwagandha from Ixoreal Biomed may not be a new ingredient, but it was the subject of a new 2022 study finding that eight weeks of supplementation can impact sexual function and quality of life, as well as serum testosterone and prolactin levels.

 On the heels of these findings, researchers conducted a second randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on women for sexual wellness, finding that the ingredient can statistically improve arousal, orgasm, desire, and satisfaction after eight weeks of supplementation.

“Women overall tend to respond better to preventative and long-term care,” says Kaiser. “There is ample white space for focusing on women. The female sexual health category has typically underperformed and is still an underserved category.”

In addition to developing and promoting more sexual health products for women, it will be incredibly important going forward that brands and ingredient suppliers commit to the highest quality standards, as the market has fallen prey to adulterations in the past, says Pharmactive’s Rodriguez.

The future will also see varied delivery formats like gummies, chews, and functional foods explode in this category, with Ixoreal’s Kaiser noting that opportunities exist for bars and ready-to-drink beverages for sexual health. As Gencor’s Hill points out, these are already gaining traction abroad: Wellbeing Nutrition (India) launched a melt-in-the-mouth strip featuring Gencor’s Testofen fenugreek ingredient, and Angfa (Japan) recently placed a ready-to-drink beverage with the same ingredient in supermarkets.

As the holistic trend grows, so too will the category’s demand for ingredients that address underlying risk factors for developing sexual health problems. “Examples such as stress, poor circulation, and sleep issues are all underlying reasons a person would have sexual health problems,” says McNamara. “Adding ingredients to support these areas of challenge would greatly improve the efficacy of a product.”

Finally, the holistic trend will also continue to benefit the growth of the market overall, especially as both women and men view sexual health as part of overall wellness. “I think we will see more openness, less hype, and more of a focus on the wellness angle, to appeal to a wider audience,” says Eng. “We see that the ‘racy’ approach has a limited appeal and is often considered dubious.”

Global Sexual Enhancement Supplements Market 2022-2026

 standardised extracts on hot flushes, quality of life, hormone and lipid profile of peri-menopausal and menopausal women: A randomized, placebo-controlled study

A 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to evaluate the effect of 

 (tongkat ali) and concurrent training on erectile function and testosterone levels in androgen deficiency of aging males (ADAM)

 seed extract reduces age-related symptoms of androgen decrease, increases testosterone levels and improves sexual function in healthy aging males in a double-blind randomised clinical study

Effect of standardized root extract of ashwagandha 

on well-being and sexual performance in adult males: A randomized controlled trial

 root extract for improvement of sexual health in healthy women: A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study

Articles

In addition to developing and promoting more sexual health products for women, it will be incredibly important going forward that brands and ingredient suppliers commit to the highest quality standards.

Taboo? Not quite. Consumers view sexual health as part of their overall wellness, and ingredient suppliers are responding in kind.

As health-conscious as consumers became during the global pandemic, they still seek comfort in their favorite sweets. According to the National Confectioners Association (NCA), sales of chocolates and candy are at an all-time high. The total confectionery channel reached $36.9 billion in retail sales in 2021, per data from Euromonitor, which projects sales will reach $44.9 billion by 2026. Meanwhile, based on data from IRI on the multioutlet and convenience channels in the 52 weeks ending December 26, 2021, U.S. retail confectionery sales reached $28.9 billion in 2021, with chocolates accounting for 58% of sales (growing 9.2% from the previous year) and non-chocolates accounting for 31% of sales (but with more growth at 14.5%) compared to the previous year.

For a majority of consumers, being able to treat oneself is important for emotional wellbeing, says NCA in its “Sweet Insights: State of Treating 2022” report. According to NCA’s report, “With 78% of all adults believing it is perfectly fine to occasionally treat with chocolate or candy, confectionery enjoys a high level of permissibility—particularly among older generations and higher-frequency consumers.”

Clearly, consumers have no problem indulging their sweet tooth as a morale booster, but they are also receptive to healthier options. NCA’s report states that 44% of consumers in 2021 were interested in trying chocolates or candy that are sugar-free or low in sugar, which is up from 31% of consumers two years ago. Other ways consumers define “better-for-you” chocolate or candy options include dark chocolate, smaller portions, and healthy inclusions such as fruits and nuts, especially among Boomers. Gen Z and Millennials, meanwhile, are more likely to prefer attributes such as organic, fat-free, gluten-free, and vegan.

That said, only 15% of consumers report frequently buying according to their better-for-you definitions, and 47% only occasionally purchase better-for-you candy and chocolates. Consumers are realistic about the health limits of even “better-for-you” candy and chocolate.

Still, is there an opportunity to broaden the definition of “better-for-you”—say, with the inclusion of functional, health-promoting nutritional ingredients?

The Functional Chocolate Company, for example, already offers a number of health-targeting chocolate products to support cognition, energy, sleep, sexual health, and women’s health. Recently, the company added a chocolate SKU for pain management.

Increasingly, nutraceutical firms are seeing the potential of using confections to deliver dietary supplement ingredients. For example, dark berries such as elderberry and black currant, which support relevant categories like immune and eye health, can be incorporated in lollipops or chocolates, offering indulgent and palatable ways to support health for both children and adults. Ingredients supplier Artemis International (Fort Wayne, IN) shared these concepts at this year’s SupplySide West trade show in Las Vegas.

Additionally, another ingredient supplier, HP Ingredients (Bradenton, FL), announced a new partnership with confectionery development company Immunity Goodness to launch “chococeuticals” containing HP’s tongkat ali ingredient LJ100.

Functional confections that offer consumers an additional source of health-supporting ingredients, all in one delectable package? It’s the very definition of a guilt-free treat.

As consumers spend more on confections, will healthier options get their vote?

Healthy sweets are on the rise. Here’s how companies are creating better-for-you confections.

The last time FDA laid down the law around what it takes for a food or beverage to rightly claim the mantle of 

electric bills came in the mail, phone calls came over landlines, and access to all the knowledge the universe ever revealed did 

 come from a radiant screen small enough to fit in your hoody pocket.

All of which is to say that the year was 1994, and we knew a lot less about nutrition then than we do now. (Or so we think.)

updating its Clinton-era healthy-labeling guidelines

 to argue that the existing rules needed a refresh. But as always happens when regulators threaten the status quo, it soon became all 

easy for interested parties to argue over the merits of what FDA proposed.

With this “healthy debate” now in full swing, then, the wellness industry is doing everything it can to make its case, and to make its voice heard.

Rend Al-Mondhiry, partner at Amin Talati Wasserman LLP (Washington, DC), wasn’t surprised when FDA released its suggested rule change this past October. In fact, she figured its time had come.

“Dietary recommendations evolve and should remain consistent with current nutrition science,” she declares. “Yet it’s been more than 25 years since FDA issued a regulation defining 

The rewrite the agency proposed would, in short, replace a definition of 

that’s currently based on minimum levels of individual nutrients—think vitamin A, iron, protein, fiber, et al.—and limits on total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium with an alternative definition that takes what FDA describes as a “food group–based approach” to identifying healthfulness.

That approach would emphasize “healthy dietary patterns,” according to the proposal—putting it in sync with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans—while also maintaining science-based limits on nutrients overrepresented in the diet, such as saturated fat, sodium, and—new to this version of 

That makes good sense, experts say, as the outdated science informing the existing guidelines permits 

 claims on products like breakfast cereals now viewed as startlingly high in added sugars while excluding the term’s use with foods like nuts, avocados, and salmon once deemed too high in total- and saturated-fat to warrant the claim.

“So as our understanding of nutrition science has changed,” Al-Mondhiry reasons, “it seems clear that these foods should qualify as, and in fact are, part of a ‘healthy’ diet.”

But what “stood out” to Al-Mondhiry in the proposed rule change is its “relative silence” on dietary supplements. For while it doesn’t expressly prohibit supplements from making 

 claims—and though it states in its preamble that supplements are defined as “food”—that preamble also states that supplements “may not be included in what nutrition science considers ‘food.’”

If that’s not confusing enough, the preamble also references recommendations from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines stressing the need to meet nutritional requirements via food—with its synergistic mix of naturally occurring nutrients—rather than from individual nutrients, as are what supplements often deliver.

Beyond this, Al-Mondhiry observes, the rule neither discusses nor mentions supplements. Yet given that “these rather strong, definitive statements seem to warrant more discussion,” that omission puzzles her.

Al-Mondhiry also suspects the rule could generate unintended consequences that neither FDA nor nutrition advocates would welcome.

 definition that accounts for the consumption of individual nutrients—as, say, through a daily supplement—and instead favoring one that focuses on whole-food groups, Al-Mondhiry wagers the rule might wind up excluding not only supplements but also a range of food products that are popular and arguably wholesome, too—for example, foods classified as too high in sodium.

Which leads Al-Mondhiry to another concern: that the “relatively low” per-serving limits on both sodium and added sugar—10% of the daily value for the former and less than 5% per reference amount commonly consumed for the latter—might force manufacturers into potentially costly and time-consuming reformulations and labeling changes.

After all, “The appearance of a term like 

 on a label can carry a lot of weight with consumers,” Al-Mondhiry says. “So from a public-health perspective, it’s important—and necessary—that the criteria for that claim be grounded in current science.”

No wonder, then, that Al-Mondhiry hints at a possible “increase in class action litigation” in response to a rule change, “with the plaintiff’s bar targeting noncompliance similar to what we’ve seen with suits and demand letters targeting noncompliance with other nutrient-content claim requirements,” she says.

So while FDA is likely to step up its own enforcement, “It seems that the plaintiff’s bar has had a much more prominent role in policing these types of claims” in the past, she says—and she suspects they may continue doing so going forward.

“Another important consideration,” Al-Mondhiry adds, “is that the proposal broadens what’s considered a ‘nutritional context’ for the purposes of determining what counts as an implied 

In other words, “Companies that want to use 

 outside this context need to be even more cautious,” she warns, noting that FDA includes several examples of what is and isn’t a “nutritional context” in the proposed rule, which she suggests companies “carefully review.”

But Katie Bond, partner at Lathrop GPM (Washington, DC), appears to take a less accommodating view of the proposed rule, and for this simple reason: It’s a matter of free speech. As she argues, the modern commercial-speech doctrine allows for first-amendment protection of truthful advertising. “So the only way the government can suppress truthful advertising is to show that, one, it has good reason to do so, and two, the advertising is inherently misleading such that it couldn’t be cured by additional disclosure, rather than suppression,” she says—the rationale being that consumers make sound decisions with more information, not less.

,’” Bond continues, “FDA suppresses use of the term except where the agency dictates it allowable. Yet FDA has no evidence to demonstrate that its rule will be net helpful for public health, much less that the term 

 would be inherently misleading on every food that falls outside a rigid FDA definition.”

Besides, FDA and FTC already have all the tools they need to police deceptive food advertising, Bond adds, “leaving them free to regulate those instances where we can all agree, based on current science, that the term 

 would be deceptive.” And that, she says, “would seem a better approach than blanket speech suppression that doesn’t pass constitutional muster.”

Alas, this continues a pattern that Bond’s noticed with regard to the agencies. “For years,” she says, “both FDA and FTC have waded into debatable areas of food science rather than staying focused on stopping bad actors; FDA’s proposed 

standard is just another example of that flawed tradition.”

That’s why the supplement industry and its advocates are shaping the message they plan to deliver to FDA on the proposal. In particular, Al-Mondhiry suspects that those comments will address FDA’s “brief discussion” emphasizing the value of nutrition from “food” and excluding supplements from what FDA considers “food” for the rule’s purposes, she says.

“While supplements aren’t meant to substitute for healthy eating and shouldn’t be marketed this way,” Al-Mondhiry concedes, she believes the proposal’s emphasis on the nutrient content of whole food groups over isolated nutrients “seems to discount dietary supplements’ role in contributing to a healthy diet.”

And Bond agrees. “There’s plenty of room for debate on what the perfect recipe for a ‘healthy’ food might be,” she insists, “and even FDA acknowledges that good health is more about healthy eating patterns than any single food. So a diet consisting solely of a food or two deemed ‘healthy’ by FDA couldn’t possibly be a healthy diet.”

Nevertheless, some form of change is inevitable. “This rule has been a long time coming,” Al-Mondhiry says, “so it’s likely that FDA is motivated to finalize it sooner than later.”

They’re sure to get plenty of feedback before they do. “So it’s possible we may see one or even two rounds of revisions with additional comment periods for each before the rule is finalized,” Al-Mondhiry says. Translation: hurry up and wait.

Leading industry attorneys dig into the complexities of FDA’s announcement.

Healthy debate: How FDA’s redefinition of “healthy” affects consumers and companies

When the first wave of the pandemic hit in early 2020, it would have been nice if crystal balls were available to guide industry through the chaos of what was to come. But truth be told, crystal balls weren’t the only thing in short supply.

Even without crystal balls, it wasn’t long before the disruptive shake-ups would become all too clear.

From a business-related perspective, ingredient shortages were among the first problems to become obvious; however, many quickly realized that packaging was going to be an issue, too. (See 

.) Let’s face it: when any part of the supply chain faces interferences or disorders, things usually don’t go smoothly, unless you’re a fan of the domino effect.

Bill Fullerton, branch manager for Berlin Packaging (Chicago), is intimately familiar with the intricacies of the packaging industry and knows firsthand how fragile the threads that tie packaging to finished products can be. Especially when dealing with the rolling effects of a pandemic.

“Nutraceutical—and pharmaceutical—products require a full range of packaging components and materials, including glass, rigid and flexible plastic polymers, cotton, desiccants, and metal,” says Fullerton. “This variety can add complexity when it comes to the supply chain.”

It’s no wonder that two and a half years since the pandemic earthquaked lives and industries worldwide that packaging companies and their customers are still navigating the disruptions. Fullerton says disruption remained a concern into mid-2022; others in the industry are still waiting for packaging issues to settle down.

Despite it all, savvy executives have found ways to cope with the lingering packaging problems.

Haley Dowdall is a package engineering manager for brand leader Olly, a job not for the faint of heart in these times. She says, “It seems that at some point in 2022, every type of material was at risk of going out of stock or going on allocation. We had specific challenges with PCR resin,”—postconsumer recycled resin—“equipment lead times, paper liners for pressure-sensitive labels, and any material that had to be imported from Asia.”

For a brand like Olly that is known for, among other things, its distinct packaging, this is the scenario from which nightmares are made. Francis Lau, PhD, FACN, is Olly’s director of scientific affairs. He explains that “our unique packaging is key to consumers recognizing the brand on shelf. The square bottle and white cap are integral to every pack we put out on the market.”

He adds that “our benefits-driven label design allows consumers to easily understand what exactly each product does, as opposed to [consumers] trying to decipher difficult-to-understand messaging that is commonplace in the nutraceutical aisle today.”

So, what’s a brand to do? “In order to avoid business disruption,” says Dowdall, “we had to be flexible in our supply chain. In some instances, we were able to qualify alternative materials to avoid shortages, but in other instances we had to plan for longer lead times and/or cost increases.”

Flexibility is certainly something that packaging companies understand and appreciate.

Marny Bielefeldt, vice president of marketing at Pretium Packaging (St. Louis, MO), shares some specific examples of how flexibility can lead to success. “For customers who have specified resins, particularly when the resin is part of an FDA filing, we work with them proactively to qualify a second resin in case there is any issue obtaining their primary resin,” she says.

That’s one strategy for product manufacturers to consider, as Bielefeldt points out that “this is also a helpful strategy for companies that require postconsumer resins with letters of non-objection from the FDA.” She notes that Pretium Packaging has multiple sources of PCR with FDA letters of non-objection, and as such she advises that “we encourage our customers to approve more than one for added flexibility.”

Bielefeldt cites other suggestions for customers who are agreeable to flexibility and open to partnering with a packaging company that demonstrates foresight. These are the things that can make the difference between getting a product on the shelves in a timely manner or leaving the product, sans packaging, behind, waiting for the preferred bottles, containers, or whatever to arrive from whichever country can’t find it to ship it.

For instance, she says, “We have customers who have had issues getting glass packaging from overseas, so I would encourage those brand owners to consider recyclable resins that can perform as well as glass, with lower greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Even for products that require higher filling temperatures, there are hot-fillable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers, polypropylene options, and crystal styrene when a package needs to be as clear as glass,” Bielefeldt adds.

From Lau’s perspective, “It’s always good to have backup material options and secondary suppliers for raw materials just in case.”

Fullerton finds that “one of the most significant challenges for nutritional products was a shortage of heat induction liners used in closures to provide a hermetic seal.”

And although he advises that the shortage situation has “improved substantially,” he’s not alone in warning of the next wave on this rollercoaster ride.

Take a deep breath and wait for it. In an effort to get ahead of future shortages, Fullerton says that manufacturers made considerable investments to increase capacity—resulting in an oversupply of many components.

The latest survey data from supplements trade association the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, DC) suggest that consumer demand for supplements is coming back down to earth. The trade association’s 2022 Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements shows a not-unexpected 

 in supplement usage, moving from last year’s survey 

 of 80% back down to pre-pandemic levels of 75%.

How the reality will play out of stored packaging supply overages knocked up against a decrease in consumer demand—and who will ultimately shoulder the financial burden—still remains to be seen. But one thing to consider is the relationship between packager and customer. The right relationship can go a long way in easing fiscal pain.

As with so many things in business—and in life, for that matter—the bottom line comes down to who you know, who you trust, and who you pick to take you to the dance.

Fullerton says this: “Having the right packaging supplier partner has never been more important.”

In broader terms, Fullerton makes the case that Berlin Packaging, with its 100-plus years of industry experience, over 6 million square feet of warehouse space (in North America and Europe), global access to 50,000+ packaging components, supply chain expertise, and more helps Berlin “eliminate shortages and disruptions.”

Drilling down, Fullerton shares that the company “closely monitors resin and raw material costs, ocean freight conditions, global and domestic transportation rates…” and shares market dynamics and supply chain intelligence with its customers, working with them to find cost-saving solutions.

In an effort to encourage supply agreements that help eliminate shortages and interruptions, Fullerton says, “For example, we have secured line time commitments to protect our customers and continue to supply aluminum cans while other suppliers aren’t allotted the capacity.”

Another core value for Pretium is sustainability. “For more than 15 years, Pretium has worked with customers to use more sustainable materials such as postconsumer resins and bioresins,” according to the company website, which also boasts that “[Pretium has] served as an R&D partner to universities, private companies, and inventors who all seek to develop packaging that is kind to the Earth.”

From its birth in the 1990s, Pretium has also focused on expansion, mergers, and acquisitions to further its “capabilities in multiple markets with the same goal: to serve customers effectively with high-quality packaging as quickly as possible.” The two most recent acquisitions took place in 2021 when Pretium acquired Alpha Packaging (St. Louis) and Grupo Edid (Lerma, Mexico).

For Olly’s Dowdall, in seeking a packaging mate, she starts with one of Olly’s key values: transparency. “We really try to foster an environment of open communication with our packaging companies and suppliers,” says Dowdall. “That way, partners feel open to share when they are having supply issues, etc., so we can strategize together on a plan of action when issues arise.”

Dowdall adds that “we have great relationships with our packaging suppliers and copackers. Overall, our suppliers have been very proactive throughout these supply chain disruptions and have been able to get in front of issues by securing raw materials ahead of time and finding equivalent alternatives.”

Overall, things seem to be looking up for 2023 for packaging companies and their customers.

“Going into 2023, we don’t foresee any packaging shortages for the virgin materials we utilize most frequently, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, and PET,” says Bielefeldt. She adds, “We also have reliable supplies of postconsumer PET that carries FDA letters of non-objection.” In addition, the highest grades of postconsumer HDPE are also available, but can be more expensive.

Meanwhile, “Because of Berlin Packaging’s strong global presence and thousands of supplier partners around the world,” states Fullerton, “we have virtually no supply shortages. We are successfully sourcing cost-effective and timely packaging solutions for our nutraceutical customers.”

All of that would seem to be good news for finished-product manufacturers, marketers, and retailers.

“We are expecting the supply issues to normalize somewhat compared to 2022,” says Olly’s Dowdall. However, no one could blame her for hedging her bets. She adds, “That said, no one can predict the future, so we need to continue to be agile and scenario plan for alternate options if needed.”

If anyone can get a line on crystal balls, now might be a good time.

Are supply chain clouds still looming over supplement packaging?

Will there still be shortages of dietary supplement packaging in 2023?

Global concerns about sustainability did not fall off even as the planet grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic.

For instance, a February 2022 United Nations International Monetary Fund report detailed the results of a survey conducted in February 2021 on 14,500 people from 16 major global economies. The purpose of the survey was to determine “how individual attitudes to climate issues and support for climate policies have evolved in the context of the pandemic.”

 Questions included: “Compared with how you were feeling before the pandemic, how much more or less worried are you about climate change today?” According to IMF’s report, 43% of respondents worldwide reported being more worried about climate change, while 35% of respondents reported no increase in worry about climate change—but said they were already concerned about climate change prior to the pandemic.

 When asked whether, compared to before the pandemic, they were more likely to personally adopt some kind of environmentally friendly behaviors—such as monitoring energy use or changing modes of transportation—the report noted that “most respondents replied that they are likely to participate in some environmentally friendly activities.” The report concluded that “the experience of the pandemic has increased concern for climate change and also increased public support for a green recovery…”

Sustainability is a prevailing concern globally, and more consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies than ever before are taking actionable steps to offer consumers products that are sourced, manufactured, packaged, and delivered more sustainability.

In fact, according to data from market researcher Innova Market Insights (The Netherlands), the growth in environmentally friendly food and beverage launches continues trending upwards. (See Figure 1.) Whereas in 2016-2017, the number of global food and beverages launched making ethical/environmental claims was 4.4%, by 2020-2021 this percentage was up to 6.6%. In fact, Innova notes, “Launches of products carrying environmental and ethical claims are growing faster than total food and beverage launches.”

Sustainable packaging is also now a “firmly established” part of new product launches, it adds. In addition, “Other environmental positions are growing well ahead of the total market, with launches rising at a CAGR that is almost three times faster than for total food and beverage launches. The use of animal welfare claims is also showing double-digit growth.”

Food and beverage manufacturers are pursuing sustainability in numerous ways today. Some are focusing narrowly on specific issues related to sustainability. Others highlight how their brands and products have an overall positive cumulative impact on the environment, communicating this through the use of scorecards in different global markets detailing a range of attributes, including levels of carbon emissions.

Some are focused on addressing global water concerns. Innova notes a 27% CAGR in the number of global food and beverage launches making claims addressing water usage in 2017-2021. Such companies include the Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., which launched a beer in January 2022 that was “created to highlight the water crisis in the Southwest” and is “made with drought-resistant hops and malt from Sinagua, which has offset more than 425 million gallons of water in the Verde river.” The label of the company’s beer can states: “This Beer Saves Water.” Another alcohol company, Stella Artois, emphasizes its collaboration with Water.org “to facilitate clean water for everyone.”

Innova points to other examples of specific environmental focus areas, including a bagged lettuce product from the brand Planet Farms in Italy whose blond baby lettuce “is sourced from vertical agriculture in which plants are grown in multilevel structures using 90% of surface area and 95% less water than similar products grown through traditional agriculture in the field.” Another is Planted Effiloche’s BBQ shreds in the French market which touts its plant-based meat alternative as being made with “81% less carbon dioxide” and “43% less water than pork.”

As mentioned, companies’ use of recycled plastic is also “surging,” Innova states. It notes a 59% CAGR for global food and beverage launches packaged in recycled plastic between 2016 and 2021 (See Figure 2), adding, “Many suppliers still target one specific issue that is most relevant to their own products (e.g., plastic use in beverages).” Examples include Carrefour Sensations’ Greeny Juice in France, packaged in a bottle made with 100% recycled plastic, and the Pepsi Max Cherry Cola beverage launched in the UK last year in a bottle that is 100% recycled and “now made from other bottles.”

Carbon emission claims are also popular. Innova notes that global new food and beverage launches touting carbon claims grew at a 28% CAGR in 2017-2021. (See Figure 3.) “Complete carbon neutrality is the Holy Grail,” it adds. Such launches span all types of products. Innova points to examples like Lightlife’s Plant-Based Chicken Fillets launched in Canada earlier this year, which are “made by a carbon-neutral company,” and Candy Kittens’ Eton Mess Gourmet Sweets confectioneries launched in the UK last year made with vegan-friendly fruit gums and palm oil–free ingredients and which are carbon neutral.

With sustainability claims pervading the food and drink market, companies need to clearly communicate to customers exactly what they bring to the table. They must also substantiate those claims with evidence.

“Brands are moving on from proclaiming their credentials to meeting a clear, agreed-upon, and understandable measurement of their environmental and social impact,” Innova states. “They need to work together and with consumers to build trust in the claims of a positive climate impact, ensuring universal acceptance of certifications and greater public faith in the transparency of brand actions. This requires quick, clear, tangible, and trusted information combined with a product life story that stands up to scrutiny.”

Luckily, the tools to do so are better than ever today. Innova points out that “New schemes are emerging to give overall scores and ratings to help consumers compare and measure, while some brands even quantify their environmental impact (e.g., carbon emissions).”

With these tools, companies are able to spell out for shoppers exactly what their products’ carbon footprints are. For instance, Oatly’s Hafer Deluxe Oat Drink, launched in Germany earlier this year, defines its “climate footprint of 0.33 kg of CO

 equivalent per kg.” Violife Foods’ Vioblock Unsalted Vegetable Fat Spread, debuted in Greece this year, “is a plant-based spread with a defined climate footprint of 0.5 kg of CO

Making consumers passionate about sustainability issues—so passionate that they will prefer to purchase products from sustainable brands—is also an important part of the endeavor. Consumers won’t appreciate brands’ efforts towards sustainability if they don’t understand the importance and benefits of those efforts.

To this end, some brands are helping consumers measure their own eco-footprints. “Some companies are offering consumers easy online tools to help them assess their own impact on the environment,” Innova says. “For example, Unilever’s The Vegetarian Butcher now offers both home cooks and chefs a chance to see what impact they would have on their eco footprint if they switched from meat to plant-based alternatives.” Another example is beer-maker Corona, whose Plastic Reality AI experience shows consumers the effects of their plastic footprint. “You can’t solve a problem you can’t see,” the company’s website says. “That’s why Corona will show you how the plastic you use goes into the ocean…”

By staying connected and informed, CPG brands and their customers can continue improving the footprint of what people consume each day. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen together.

Mohommad A, Pugacheva E. International Monetary Fund working paper. “Impact of COVID-19 on Attitudes to Climate Change and Support for Climate Policies.” Published February 4, 2022.

Sustainability priorities differ depending on where a consumer lives. Climate change issues felt closer to home will always take center stage. When Innova Market Insights asked consumers around the world about which global issues most concerned them in 2021, the answers differed by location.

In North America, for instance, the top concern was animal cruelty, followed—in order—by human exploitation, ocean pollution, water shortages, and air pollution. “Pure environmental concerns take second place to animal and human welfare” in North America, it says.

In Latin America, the priorities in order were water shortages, deforestation, air pollution, food waste, and plastic waste. Notes Innova: “Water and deforestation issues are key as they are already impacting local lives and livelihoods” in the region.

In Europe, priorities were plastic waste, ocean pollution, animal cruelty, food waste, and deforestation. “Plastic waste and its role in ocean pollution are hot topics in Europe,” Innova says.

And in Asia, the top concern was food waste followed by plastic waste, air pollution, water shortages, and pollution from transport. “Waste is a significant concern to Asian consumers, while air pollution is also relevant,” says Innova.

Overall, it found, levels of sustainability concern were highest in Latin America and lowest in North America. “When asked about the big environmental issues, consumers care most about animal cruelty, plastic waste, and food waste, although there is some variation by region. For example, water shortages and deforestation are most important in Latin America, and plastic waste and ocean pollution are most important in Europe.”

Market researcher Innova Market Insights details how food and drink companies are growing their corporate sustainability initiatives while educating consumers on the impact of those initiatives.

Joint effort: Food and drink brands teach consumers about their own carbon footprints

 Best of the Industry awards this year, we are highlighting three winners for their contributions in 2022.

These are companies investing in the future. Take this year’s Industry Leader, 

. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, Brightseed and its partners are discovering the world’s next generation of ingredients that will benefit human health. Some of these discoveries are already coming to market, and in our awards story, we recognize the company’s many advances this year.

Our second award winner, in the Ingredient Supplier category, is 

, a company that’s dedicated itself to developing Ahiflower, a sustainable, plant-derived source of omega fatty acids. The company is spreading the word that a non-marine source of omegas is possible—and is sorely needed by a world deficient in these critical nutrients.

, a company working to elevate standards and quality in the black seed product market specifically. The company is shining a light on what exactly companies and consumers need to look for to identify high-quality ingredients—something we can all appreciate.

These companies are looking to the future of the industry and charting a better path forward in health and wellness in ways that will benefit not only the companies themselves but all of us.

Join us in congratulating our 2022 Best of the Industry award winners. Read their stories and stay tuned for the upcoming December episode of 

 in which we take you beyond the page with one-on-one interviews with each of our award winners.

Ingredient Supplier: Natures Crops International

In Nutritional Outlook’s 2022 Best of the Industry Awards, we recognize individuals, groups, and companies whose initiatives today are helping to shape, for the better, the state of the dietary supplement and natural products industry.

Nutritional Outlook’s 2022 Best of the Industry Award Winners

The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) can conjure all kinds of associations influenced by decades of inventive science fiction, but in reality, it’s just an innovative new tool that, when applied to the right goals, can have a genuinely positive impact. Case in point is San Francisco, CA–based Brightseed, 

 pick for our 2022 Best of the Industry Awards Industry Leader.

Brightseed, an AI-driven data and bioscience company, uses its AI platform, Forager, to find new bioactive compounds that have the potential to support human health. With Forager, Brightseed can significantly speed up the research and development process to create innovative and scientifically validated nutraceutical products while also contributing new insights into human health and nutrition.

Put simply, Forager accomplishes this by drawing connections between compounds found in plants and their potential biological mechanisms, based on clinical evidence. “Forager comprises three main modules,” explains Jim Flatt, co-founder and CEO of Brightseed. “The first module enables identification of the 99% of ‘dark matter,’ the small molecule compounds in plants that have not yet been characterized. The second module is a digital model of human health that enables the prediction of compounds that will beneficially modulate clinically validated biological mechanisms that are determinants of various health conditions. The third module enables prediction of the best plant sources capable of producing novel bioactive compounds of interest.”

The third module is informed by research conducted by Brightseed’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Lee Chae, at Stanford University’s Carnegie Institution for Science’s Department of Plant Biology. According to Chae, “Forager makes these connections by offering a deeper and broader view into the chemical composition of plants as well as a mechanistic prediction of how they act in the human body.”

It is this level of this insight that allows Brightseed to form testable hypotheses about how certain bioactives will impact specific pathways and receptors in the body that lead to specific health benefits, Chae explains. From there, Brightseed can design and interpret nutritional trials with greater speed and accuracy. “As Forager’s data sets grow, we are traversing molecules and new chemical landscapes that have long gone unexplored,” he adds. “Machine learning enables this bioactive data collection and discovery at a pace, depth, and scale that were previously unachievable.”

According to Brightseed’s calculations, only about 1% of potential bioactives have been studied scientifically, but its work with Forager has increased this number exponentially into tens of thousands of predicted bioactives, claims Chae. “This large-scale mapping increases our speed and likelihood of success translating a discovery into a commercial product,” he explains. “We were able to discover, translate, develop, and commercialize our bioactive product in less than five years, compared to the typical 8-10 years it takes to develop and commercialize a new ingredient. We did this all while building our young company. We hope in the future we can further speed up our pipeline to reduce this time to 3-4 years per discovery.”

. This is the first ingredient developed and commercialized by Brightseed that is based on Forager’s discovery of two novel bioactives: N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (NCT) and N-trans-feruloyltyramine (NFT). Forager found these compounds in over 80 common edible plant sources, with the greatest abundance in hemp seed hulls. Preclinical data confirmed that NCT and NFT act as potent HNF4-alpha activators to support proper liver and metabolic function, as well as a healthy gut barrier lining. Now, Brightseed Bio 01, introduced to the market this fall, is being marketed as a novel dietary hemp fiber ideally suited for functional food and beverage products. The company has partnered with Puris (Minneapolis) to create a product prototype called BioCrisp+, which combines Bio 01 with Puris pea protein to create a crunchy product for inclusion in cereals, bars, and baked goods.

One can view Brightseed Bio 01 as a proof of concept of both Brightseed’s Forager technology as well as its manufacturing and commercialization capabilities. For Brightseed, this is only the beginning. The company recently closed a 

 for a total of $120 million in capital which Brightseed will use to expand its R&D and commercialization efforts. On top of this, Brightseed has ongoing partnerships with numerous brands that see the potential of the Forager platform for new product development, including the likes of 

. Outside of the growth and success of the company, Brightseed’s founders also recognize the larger implications of its Forager platform to benefit mankind.

In a recent article Flatt wrote for the World Economic Forum, ahead of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, he proposed that bioactive compounds found in nature are the most potent tool for transforming nutrition as part of a public health initiative. As Americans fall short of daily fruit and vegetable intake requirements, fueling chronic disease on a massive scale, “it’s not an exaggeration to say that unlocking more bioactives and mapping their effects on our biological systems has a seismic and global potential to transform human health,” wrote Flatt. With tools like Forager, this knowledge can be accelerated for rapid development of solutions.

“There is a global opportunity to accelerate clinical studies on known and newly discovered bioactives to expand the breadth of scientific knowledge, which in turn will accelerate government and industry adoption of these evidence-based natural solutions for consumers,” says Sofia Elizondo, Brightseed’s co-founder and COO. “Bioactives need to be included in an expanding definition of what the FDA considers ‘healthy’ and regulated so consumers can benefit from them, and industry can innovate with them.”

For Brightseed, applying Forager’s insights on a larger scale with partners in the food and health industries means more widespread adoption of previously unknown bioactives as resulting new dietary ingredients and drugs hit the marketplace. “We firmly believe that bioactives should be acknowledged as a key element for maintaining, supporting, and restoring human health, and Brightseed’s work is paving the way towards that future,” says Elizondo.

The work continues. With production and commercialization of Bio 01 underway, Forager continues to crunch its numbers. Chae tells 

 that there is currently a pipeline of more than a dozen discovery programs through which Brightseed is working to identify bioactives across numerous health areas, including cognitive, metabolic, digestive, and immune health.

“Our pipeline of novel bioactive ingredients plans to address some of the most pressing and unmet consumer health conditions including metabolism, weight management, glucose management, cognitive health, sleep, stress, and more,” says Elizondo. “By focusing on these key health areas, we hope to provide ingredients that are an integral part of full-body, proactive health.”

Brightseed’s innovative AI platform, Forager, is unlocking the potential of plant bioactives while also accelerating research and development of novel ingredients.

Nutritional Outlook’s 2022 Best of the Industry Awards, Industry Leader: Brightseed

If Ahiflower oil seems too good to be true, that’s because it almost is. Imagine if the world found a way to increase population levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids like DHA and EPA—all without having to raid marine ecosystems? That’s the promise of Ahiflower, a complete and balanced 

 source of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. It’s what Natures Crops International (Winston-Salem, NC), Ahiflower’s discoverer, believes makes this ingredient the world’s most important plant-based source of omega fatty acids heading into the future.

The company, founded in 2007, discovered Ahiflower quite by accident. Ahiflower oil is extracted from the 

) plant. “Under the guidance of one of the inventors of Lorenzo’s oil”—a medicinal oleic acid and erucic acid mixture extracted from rapeseed oil and olive oil—“we were looking for specific plant species within the family 

because the published literature—this was before Google or Wikipedia was a thing—indicated that this family were predisposed to accumulating omega-3s, especially stearidonic acid, in their seed oils,” recounts Andrew Hebard, CEO and founder of Natures Crops International. “The mission simply was to find a plant-based alternative to fish oil that could be grown by farmers and scaled up globally and not cost-prohibitively. Purely by coincidence, one of the species, 

 happened to be a weed native to the UK, also known as stone seed or corn gromwell. We literally stumbled upon it growing in a hedgerow.”

The Ahiflower pioneer is showing the world how plant-based omegas can provide needed nutrition, sustainably.

Nutritional Outlook Vol. 25 No. 10