WATCH: Vegan demand: NutraIngredients-Asia Awards winner GO Healthy to introduce more vegan offerings

The New-Zealand headquartered company also took home the Omega-3 Product of the Year with its hemp seed oil product during this year’s NutraIngredients-Asia Awards​.

The product has been commended by the judges for its plant-based credentials and commercial success.

Each capsule of the product contains 1,100mg of extra-virgin, cold-pressed hemp seed oil, of which, 213mg is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), 605mg is linolenic acid (LA), 33mg is gamma linolenic acid (GLA), and 143mg is oleic acid.

Noticing a rising trend for vegan options, Jess Blair, ambassador and qualified naturopath at GO Healthy, told NutraIngredients-Asia ​that the firm would continue to launch more vegan options, including the hemp seed oil product.

The product currently contains gelatin and is not suitable for vegans, but the company said it planned to switch it to a veggie softgel version in the future.

“A veggie soft gel capsule is the next innovation opportunity. [This is] driven by the consumer trend for vegetarian or vegan offerings. Most of the soft gel capsules contain gelatin, which is not vegetarian or vegan friendly. ​

“Having the veggie soft gel option gives more options for consumers that prefer to be vegetarian or vegan-based.”​

Currently, the company is using vegetable soft gel capsules for products such as GO Vitamin C 500mg, GO Iron for Women, and GO Apple Cider Vinegar 1,000mg.

Sustainability is another factor that is taken into account during the new product innovation process.

“We are [also] always coming up with new ideas and new innovations to be able to be more sustainable, and that’s why hemp seed oil is a great alternative,” ​she said.

She explained that the hemp plant required less water to thrive and was a natural weed suppressor.

In addition, she said that hemp seed oil could be an alternative for individuals allergic to seafood or fish, which was also why the company had developed this product despite having fish oil and krill oil in its portfolio.

In terms of nutritional value, hemp seed oil contains omega-3, 6, and 9, which differs from fish oil which is rich in omega-3, EPA, and DHA, while krill oil contains a complex mixture of omegas.

Watch the video to find out more.