Net profits at supplements manufacturer Blackmores slumped by 42% in the first of half of the financial year, with the firm reporting reduced demand from Chinese ‘daigou’ shoppers who buy in Australia and then ship goods back to their homeland.
Spanish firm Reig Jofre’s nutritional supplements line Forte Pharma is looking towards South East Asia for expansion, after establishing a firm foothold in Hong Kong and Macau.
A new cognitive health supplement firm which recently opened a base in Singapore is targetting consumers in their 40s as it seeks to expand across the region.
Probiotics manufacturer BioGaia has reported annual sales growth of 9%, excluding exchange rate effects, with managing director Axel Sjöblad highlighting growth in Asia as a key reason for continued confidence over the next 12 months.
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (RB) has signed a merger agreement with Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (Mead Johnson) under which Mead Johnson shareholders will receive $90 in cash for each share of common stock, valuing the total equity at $16.6bn.
New Zealand supplement firm Better Health Co, which owns the GO Healthy brand, has sold an 80% stake to an Asian private equity fund to help it tap into international markets.
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (RB) has confirmed it is in ‘advanced negotiations’ to acquire all Mead Johnson Nutrition shares for $90 each in cash, valuing Mead Johnson’s entire share capital at approximately $16.7bn.
Blackmores Institute is to hold its first Singapore symposium as part of its efforts to help train and guide pharmacists to safely and effectively integrate supplements into their practices.
Curcumin can become as big as omega-3, according to the boss of Indian nutraceutical supplier OmniActive, which has recently received a significant funding boost and made a high-level acquisition.
Amway has revealed it plans to open a further 50 stores in India, but has vowed to remain a direct-selling company with sellers “the key point of distribution”.
Infant nutrition company Mead Johnson saw sales in Asia – its largest region – slip 9% year-on-year, 5% on a constant dollar basis, to $1.856bn – although the company recorded ‘strong sales growth’ in its key China market.
Prebiotic soluble fibre dietary supplement MyFy is the first product to be launched by Galaxy Scientific Nutrition in India to address the country’s significant shortfall of fibre intake.
The decision by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to approve DHA and ARA-enriched infant food was a crucial factor leading to Danone’s ambitious growth plans for the country.
A fortified iron supplement bar given to women in and around Mumbai reduced anaemia with no reported side effects, according to a study by Duke University researchers and collaborators in India.
Aptamil, one of Danone’s infant formula brands sold in 45 countries, has been launched in India, with the company saying it plans to produce local supply at the company’s Lalru, Punjab facility.
Hyderabad-based nutritional supplements maker Genmedic Healthcare Pvt Ltd received an investment boost from the ad-for-equity investment arm of media firm Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd (BCCL), Brand Capital.
Replacing CEO Laura McBain hasn’t seen the end of financial turmoil at Australian infant formula manufacturer Bellamy’s with shares continuing to slide amid gloomy forecasts from analysts.
With more than 100 infant milk powder manufacturers established and thousands of product lines launched in the last 30 years, overcrowding in the segment appears to have hit Chinese businesses hard.
Australian infant formula firm Bellamy’s is facing further turmoil after a major shareholder demanded the removal of four of the company’s board directors.
BASF’s Nutrition & Health Division has opened a new technical application lab in Singapore to provide analytical services and product development support to customers across the region.
Swisse Wellness chief executive Radek Sali will step down on December 31 as Hong Kong-listed Biostime International takes full ownership of the Australian firm.
The Federal Court of Australia has approved the takeover of vitamin firm Vitaco by Chinese investors, with the deal now officially entering the “completion stage”.
Danone’s Milupa Nutricia has signed a deal with online retailer windeln.de to better distribute its Aptamil infant formula brand in China as it seeks to thwart the booming grey market.
Hawaii supplement firm The Daily Wellness Company is preparing to launch its first products in China in early 2017 – and has signed a deal with TruTag technologies to authenticate its products.
Two supplements have been banned from sale by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention after receiving advice from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
US supplement firm Mannatech is entering the China market via e-commerce - a clear change in tack for the Texas company, which usually focuses on multi-level marketing or direct selling.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is investigating alleged suspicious trading in the run-up to the announcement of a takeover at Australian supplement firm Vitaco.
Australian manufacturer of pharmaceutical grade cannabis and hemp-based products Creso Pharma has sealed deals to launch its nutraceuticals in two European markets.
China has provided one of the few positive notes in Mead Johnson’s quarterly results, with bosses hailing “substantial progress” in the country, despite conceding that global growth would be slower than planned.
Australian nutraceutical firm BioCeuticals has picked up two awards, one for a new health portal, and another for its health and lifestyle brand IsoWhey.
By Natasha Flynn, business development manager, HealthDirection
With more than 30,000 businesses generating sales of over A$4bn (US$3.1bn), the Australian complementary medicines industry has created a highly competitive landscape.
GNC could become the latest vitamin and supplement firm to have Chinese owners, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that the company has met with several interested parties.
In the first instalment of NutraIngredients–Asia's Business Monitor, we keep tabs on the latest developments at the region’s leading nutrition and supplement firms, featuring Blackmores, Swisse Wellness and Ausnutria.
Taiwan botanical manufacturer and supplier Aquavan is targeting international expansion after establishing an ingredients offshoot to complement its finished products offering.
