300% growth: Toplife and Springleaf introduce new vitamin C products as COVID-19 immunity boost continues
The products will first launch in its home market Australia, and via e-commerce in China over the next few weeks.
Ross Norris, general manager at Homart Pharmaceuticals, told NutraIngredients-Asia the company had seen a growth of over 300% for immune-related products during the pandemic.
He said: “We’re sure the growth might be even higher, but unfortunately we ran out of stocks for some products, and are moving quickly to replace these stocks.
“Production of immune-related products have been busier than ever, both with our own brands, as well as our OEM clients.”
Homart’s portfolio include dietary supplement brands like Toplife, Springleaf, as well as skincare brands such as Cheri and Grandpawpaw.
New vitamin C products
Toplife will launch a vitamin C tablet which contains 1,000 mg of vitamin C, and ingredients including zinc citric, selenium, and rosehip to enhance the immune response in the coming weeks.
Under the Springleaf brand, Homart will launch a vitamin C stick sachet product in early May, and a vitamin C tablet product in early June. Each will contain 1,000 mg of vitamin C.
Besides Australia and China, Norris told us there were plans to enter South East Asia in the near future, “We are in discussions with distributors in SEA to gauge interest and determine launch plans.”
Apart from vitamin C-related products, Toplife will also launch a healthy ageing product called NAD+ Max. “It is a product geared towards those who believe in preventative health, and living a long and healthy life,” Norris said.
It contains ingredients such as quercetin, grapeseed extract and nicotinamide to improve cellular health and blood flow.
Sanitiser demand
Homart has also been producing hand sanitisers, sprays, and face masks for distribution to local community, hospitals and clinics – it is now producing about 10,000 half-litre bottles of sanitisers each day.
According to Norris, the pandemic will eventually change the way people think about managing their health and expects demand to stay robust.
“People will focus more on health supplements that get their immune system the best possible support on a daily basis.
“I don’t expect demand to be as strong as it is right now, but after the pandemic has passed, I do believe the pandemic will result in more people consuming immunity supplements.”
However, he stressed responsible marketing was crucial to the well-being of the industry.
“I’m always wary when I see products that claim they can treat or prevent any sort of disease, especially the coronavirus. We focus on making claims that are backed by science and regulated under the relevant law, such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia.”
“For supplements that is listed by TGA, it not only is a mark of quality and made to the highest standard, but the claims on the packaging are also being regulated.”
