Features

At first directed to sports nutrition, the Energy segment widens to all consumers, in search of a better healthy life, both moral and physical comfort. Finally, energy products can target serious athletes, as well as people who may exercise once a week and working people accumulating fatigue. With regards to dietary supplement, foods and particularly beverages, the worldwide energy sector is continuously expanding in the last 5 years and is expected to reach more than $39bn in value by 2010. Despite this huge market, only a few final products have been launched. As an example, only 81 launches in France in 2006 compared to 1800 new slimming products during the same year.

By analysing the Energy & Vitality market, ingredients available to date can be grouped in 3 main families based on 3 main communication axes:

1. Caloric contributors: widely used in energy drinks and foods is a source of energy rapidly bioavailable for the body (e.g.: sugar and associated ingredients).
2. Stimulants: without side effects for some, stimulants are also frequently used in tonus and vitality formulations offering a shortage of originality (e.g.: amino acids, vitamins, synthetic or natural caffeine).
3. Adaptogens: their use is mainly based on their traditional application and botanical origin due to a lack of scientific evidence in terms of mechanism of action (e.g.: ginseng, ginger, quinquina, tribulus)

Relating these observations, it can be concluded that the shortage of product launches is none other than the result of a lack of innovation in terms of ingredients’ mechanism of action, conducing to the same messages and claims on most final products, with no possibility of differentiation for competitor formulators.

This article is available in full in the Autumn 2008 issue of Nutraceuticals Now

Fibre is an essential part of the human diet and contributes to our overall well-being. The consumption of dietary fibre is associated with reducing the risk of certain diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and also helps to reduce the occurrence of constipation, diverticulosis and other disorders of the digestive tract.

Dietary fibre is an integral part of many naturally-occurring substances such as grains, cereal products, fruit and vegetables. Governmental institutions are advocating increasing whole grains and fruit and vegetables in the diet as part of a reduction in disease risk strategy.

Obesity and the associated health problems are already a massive public health issue, both for the developed and, increasingly, the developing world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2005 1.6 billion adults were overweight and at least 400 million adults were obese. By 2015, WHO predicts that approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million adults will be obese. The health consequences of obesity range from an increased risk of premature death to debilitating complaints that negatively affect the quality of life. Obesity is a major risk factor for diseases such as Non-Insulin Dependant Diabetes (NIDD), cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke and hypertension) and cancer.

This article is available in full in the Autumn 2008 issue of Nutraceuticals Now

Exhibiting for the first time at Health Ingredients Europe, global flavour house and fine ingredients supplier Frutarom will showcase the latest study results on Finomate™ (EFLA®920), a green mate extract with shown effects on weight and body fat reduction.

Green mate is traditionally used in folk medicine for its stimulant, diuretic and appetite suppressant effects. According to official references, it can be used to support weight management and act as adjuvant in slimming regimes. Latest results from an animal trial on obese rats with Frutarom’s green mate extract Finomate™ suggest that consumption over a longer period effectively reduces body weight and visceral fat. Interestingly, health effects are not limited to body weight management. Finomate™ also positively influences biomarkers for obesity, such as blood cholesterol and free fatty acid levels. This new animal trial amends the findings of the clinical study where Finomate™ improved body composition of overweight women by reducing especially fat mass and fat percentage.

This article is available in full in the Autumn 2008 issue of Nutraceuticals Now

Nutraceutical marketing is not an easy task. It’s all very well creating an advertisement or doing a bit of sampling here and there, but does this always have the desired effect? This industry is more complex than most and often a more robust approach to communication is required. Victory lies in the correct and balanced application of the marketing mix, and the role that exhibitions play in a business-to-business campaigns hould not be underestimated, particularly in an industry like this. However, exhibition organisers can’t rest on their laurels. To guarantee a successful event, they need to ensure that added value is delivered at every opportunity.

Parents these days are increasingly conscious, not only of the effects of certain foods on their own health and well-being but naturally that of their children as well. While children’s diets have changed dramatically over the past decades to include alarming amounts of soft drinks and other high-sugar products, there is most recently a positive trend towards more nutritious and more functional foods with proven benefits for human health. In particular, there is a growing awareness of one of the most prevalent aliments among children, namely dental carries.