Suppliers focus: The top 10 most-read nutra suppliers stories in 2023

‘Not so dire?’ China NMN supplier hopeful of US opportunities despite regulatory roadblock​​

A Shanghai-based nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) ingredient firm said it was hopeful of NMN’s application and business opportunities in the US, despite news of the USFDA retracting the ingredient’s status as a New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) in late 2022.

The ingredient is a form of vitamin B3 and is commonly marketed as an anti-ageing ingredient. It was approved as an NDI in the US on a case-by-case basis and has been sold as a dietary supplement in the US market.

However, the USFDA changed its position on the ingredient’s use in dietary supplements after it found out that NMN has been authorised for investigation as a new drug.

First of its kind? Japanese firm develops supplement ingredient that promotes stem cell reproduction​​

A Japanese company said it has developed an olive leaf extract that could be incorporated into health supplements to promote stem cell reproduction.

Tokyo-based Nutrition Act told us that the extract could promote stem cell reproduction by increasing the body’s production of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1).

The extract has been commercialised as an ingredient known as HIF1STEM.

And the winners are…Check out who took the top prizes at the NutraIngredients-Asia Awards 2023​

AstaReal, Morinaga Milk, Glac Biotech, and GNC China were some of the winners of this year’s NutraIngredients-Asia Awards, held to recognise the brightest and best products, ingredients and initiatives across the nutrition industry.

Over 180 submissions were received for this year’s award entries, breaking a new record.

Some of the winners included AstaReal, which took home the Ingredient of the Year: Beauty from Within award, while GNC China won the Product of the Year: Omega-3.

‘Higher acceptance’: Sanofi, AB-BIOTICS team up to launch probiotics for improving cholesterol in South Korea​

AB-BIOTICS has worked with Sanofi Consumer Healthcare Korea in launching probiotics that deliver benefits beyond gut health in South Korea, including a product for improving cholesterol level sold under the name Superbiotics Cholesterol.

The capsule product is said to be the first to be approved by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) as a class II dual function probiotic for both gut health and improving blood cholesterol level.

The formulation uses three patented probiotic strains from AB-BIOTICS, namely Lactobacillus plantarum ​CECT7527, CECT7528, and CECT7529 isolated from the faeces of healthy humans.

From babies to seniors: How Chinese firms are applying concepts from infant formula, sports nutrition into healthy ageing products​

Companies in China have branched out from infant formula into milk powder products for the aged population, according to insights from Glanbia Nutritionals.

Some examples include Yili, which has developed a range of formula products under the brand Xin Huo (欣活) as well as Danone China’s low glycemic index (GI) milk powder launched under the Ganmai brand last year.​

In addition, there has been a trend of companies adopting sports nutrition concepts, such as applying whey protein concentrate (WPC) and whey protein isolate (WPI), into healthy ageing products to address the issue of muscle loss among the elderly.             ​

Precision prebiotic makes headway in Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan amid extensive gut health-focused NPD​

Netherlands-based supplier firm NutriLeads said that one of its prebiotic ingredients, BeniCaros, which has been used by pharma giant Bayer in its product, has “game-changing potential” due to its ability to negate common side effects.

The ingredient, BeniCaros, has been adopted by Bayer-owned brand Stem & Root for its “Daily Immunity” product launched in the US last year.

Upcycled from soluble carrot fibre using the firm’s proprietary tech platform, BeniCaros works by preparing innate immune cells in the gut to respond faster and more efficiently against external threats such as viruses, as well as stimulates growth of beneficial gut bacteria and increases metabolite production.

Quality confirmed: High purity, individually packed omega-3 preferred in South Korea - FMW​

High purity and individual packaging were some of the key features that South Korean consumers preferred to see when purchasing omega-3 supplements, according to FMW Corp, the first firm approved by Korean authorities to advertise using a fish oil quality certification scheme from the US.

Specifically, omega-3 made using supercritical extraction, with a purity of at least 80 per cent, a high content of EPA and DHA at 1,000mg, and individually packed ones would be preferred.

Following the release of radioactively contaminated water in Japan’s Fukushima region, consumers had also gained an interest in algae-derived omega-3.

Specialised nutrition boost: Australia’s milk powder manufacturer sets sights in functional ingredients business​

Australia’s milk powder manufacturer ProviCo said that demand for specialised nutrition across different life stages has been growing and it was hoping to cater to such demand by utilising its expertise in milk protein fractionation.

Noticing the market opportunities in specialised nutrition, the firm acquired in year 2020 a facility formerly owned by Nestle in Dennington, Victoria.

One of its recent offerings is its lactoferrin ingredient sold under the trademark FerrinPro.

Postbiotic approval: Kirin subsidiary’s ingredient approved for use in foods, supplements in India​

Kyowa Hakko Bio’s postbiotics has been approved for use in general foods and health supplements in India.

The company received approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in August that IMMUSE, its proprietary Lactococcus lactis ​strain Plasma (LC-Plasma) postbiotic, could be used in general foods and health supplements. 

Dr Ryo Ohashi, managing director, Kyowa Hakko Bio Singapore, believes that the strong history of dairy, natural products, and probiotics use, could help promote postbiotic consumption in India.

China HMOs approvals: Two MNCs and one local giant get the green light from regulators​

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) have been officially permitted for use in China’s infant formula, with two multinationals, namely IFF and dsm-firmenich, as well as local dairy giant Mengniu, among the first wave of approvals.

All three companies received approvals for their 2'-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) ingredient, while dsm-firmenich received an additional approval for lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), another HMO component.

The approvals were closely watched as HMOs are seen as one of the latest trends in infant nutrition​, but China, the most lucrative infant formula market in Asia-Pacific, had been slower than other countries in allowing the use of HMOs.