Rebecca Wright12.01.10
“With GMPs squarely upon us, this is the industry’s chance to shine. It should be every company’s duty to make sure it is meeting and in some cases exceeding these requirements. The same goes for adverse event reporting.
“Regulations across the globe will take on new significance in 2011. European health authorities are already impacting the industry in a major way, and the U.S. may not be far behind. At the same time, regulations are in the embryonic stages in many of the developing regions for dietary supplements and functional foods (Brazil, Russia, India, China). If you want in on any of these markets, get to know the authorities there.
“Research might be one of the biggest game-changers in the near future. It will not only be necessary to prove product effectiveness, but also to confirm safety, so start planning your clinical studies now.
“As for healthcare, it is the industry’s job to make consumers understand how important dietary supplements and functional foods are to their daily wellness routines. Once they realize that our products keep them out of doctors’ offices, they will be customers for life!”—Rebecca Wright, Editor
“The entire food industry, including functional foods, is undergoing demonization in part due to misunderstanding of consumers, in part due to the claims of those who feel we can feed the world through backyard efforts, and in part due to the industry itself for, at times, advertising campaigns taking advantage of every fad rather than spelling out the scientific truth.
“Science in both health and safety is particularly important for the survival of the industry. If these are not tightly adhered to in production and advertising, then we lend credence to the naysayers. However, I am optimistic we will meet the challenge!“—Fergus Clydesdale, PhD, Distinguished Professor & Head of the Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
“2010 saw an uptick in M&A activity for the nutrition and food sectors. Kraft nabbed Cadbury and Carlyle snagged NBTY. We can expect to see more M&A in 2011 as companies look for growth opportunities, and a cheaper greenback makes U.S. assets more attractive for European, Asian and Latin American buyers.
“FTC action clamping down on what they see as dubious functional health claims will continue. In the case involving POM Wonderful, the agency appears to be saying that clinical trials without a placebo control are inadequate.
“Nestlé’s formation of the Nestle Health Science Company is a major move to capture a share of dollars spent on health and well-being by our increasingly overweight populace. Look for more action in the hitherto sleepy medical foods category.“—Steve Allen, Vice Chairman, 6 Pacific Partners, & Chairman, Nutrition Capital Network
“Although no industry is truly recession proof, it is clear after the lengthy and painful recession and ongoing economic malaise that most natural and organic product consumers remain loyal to the category. Some trading down to lower priced brands has occurred, but masses of consumers failed to flee the category as some skeptics claimed they would. Since the recovery is slated to be equally long and painful, this failure to migrate out of the category is good news for the industry; however, there are some challenges inherent in this new paradigm.
“2011 will be the year of the price correction and the eroding profit margin. Gone are the days when LOHAS and Naturalite consumers (more than 40% of the population) would readily pay a premium for a natural/organic product. This luxury of higher profit margins has been especially helpful for smaller, independent stores that do not enjoy the economies created by volume buying, but has also been true at supernaturals such as Whole Foods Markets. ‘Whole Paycheck’ anyone?
“Nope. In this new era, brands will have to demonstrate actual value beyond the features and benefits of the product in order to command a premium price point. Simply being a friend of Mother Nature will no longer be an adequate differentiation strategy. This phenomenon was already in full swing before the recession as expanding channels of distribution and hypercompetition at all levels of the supply chain have forced prices and margins lower. Add the economic downturn and you have a lasting paradigm shift.“—Darrin Duber-Smith, MS, MBA, President, Green Marketing, Inc.
“Growth opportunities continue accelerating for foods, which enable a better diet for health. Attractive underserved niche opportunities exist for foods that are convenient, tasty and healthy for older population groups. Our ‘oldest old,’ those 85 and above, represent a high growth segment with specific nutrition needs. They are increasingly supported in their own homes; their medical program managed by their anxious, overextended children who welcome convenient ‘better for you’ products.“—Nancy Childs, PhD, Professor & Chair, Department of Food Marketing, St. Joseph’s University
“This is the year of decision for the industry. Now that the GMP audits are being conducted by the FDA under 21 CFR 111, it is clear that two industries are emerging. One is the responsible industry that has adequately prepared itself for the increase in quality scrutiny. The other is the industry that has not done so, and which is receiving Form 483’s and warning letters. As major pharmaceutical companies are looking to re-engage in this space, it will become fairly clear who will be selected as their manufacturing partners based on the level of commitment to excellence in operations. Those companies who have specialized in low cost production without making adequate investments in quality systems and personnel training are going to blow up or blow away. For many it will be too little, too late. For others it will be the beginning of a ‘golden-age’ of stability and growth.
“It’s no longer enough to think parochially, here, in the U.S. if we want our industry to continue to thrive. The U.S. is being influenced by the activities of regulatory frameworks all over the world, and vice versa, and we must be vigilant everywhere. In this global economy, it is important for our industry to maximize our influence, in CODEX, and beyond. And most importantly, we must continue to champion science.“—Mark LeDoux, Chair, CRN-I; Chairman & CEO, Natural Alternatives International (NAI)
“Corporate focus on basic science and translation into revenue generating businesses and products is moving to the forefront of consumer food products. The perennial consumer and industry favorite—‘health and wellness’—is the mother lode of differentiation and competitive insulation. The challenge of efficiently and effectively achieving critical mass in resources to identify specific, defensible health and wellness benefits and to support claims is being met. The mechanism: food company partnerships with well established, credible, basic and applied research institutes, such as TNO and NIZO, as well as others. The role of such partnerships is not only discovery, but also serving as the basic research function or an extension of that function within a food company. A key difference in recent partnerships vs. those that have occurred sporadically in the past is the enduring and mutually beneficial nature of the structure and goals.“—Nancy Fogg-Johnson, PhD, Principal, Nutri+Food Business Consultants
“The continuing challenge within the nutraceuticals industry is confidence in the caliber of product. Adulteration of raw materials continues to be present and at some level encouraged by elements within the manufacturing base of our industry. As the economy struggles, pricing pressure continues to be an enabler for adulteration. The adulterants come in the form of chemicals, extract effluent and other creative methodologies, such as spoof testing with similar marker compounds and species. Consumer confidence in the quality and efficacy of the products we proffer for good health is critical. Our industry must continue to evolve and mature to prevent a catastrophic loss of consumer confidence.“—George Pontiakos, President & CEO, BI Nutraceuticals
“2010 continued with the industry still suffering from major schizophrenia. Organic vs. non-organic. Locally grown vs. imported. Non-GMO vs. GMO. The list goes on and on. This mass chaos is causing major trouble for suppliers and manufacturers trying desperately to comply. In addition, consumers are scratching their heads in utter confusion trying to make sense of it all. The industry needs to once again define its purpose and work with the government to attain clear guidelines as to what really is healthy and what is not. A(n) house (industry) divided against itself cannot stand.“—Steve Siegel, Vice President, Ecuadorian Rainforest, LLC
“From a quality standpoint, the dietary supplement GMPs have definitely given our clients more to talk about and work on in the coming year. However, despite that awareness, many of our small-sized customers continually express concern over understanding the guidance and implementing the necessary quality systems and the related costs. There seems to still be a lot of room for interpretation. This could become the leading prohibitive factor for small businesses to compete effectively with larger players. If so, local or lesser known brands with small distribution might become a thing of the past, changing the layout of the Industry considerably.“—Elan Sudberg, CEO, Alkemists Pharmaceuticals
“Consumer knowledge about the functional benefits of herbs and botanicals is continuing to increase due to the solid science behind these ingredients. Continuing investment into research and development, plus the size of manufacturing facilities are playing more and more prominent roles within our markets.
“Naturex develops innovative ingredients that combine performance with sustainability. Naturex demonstrates solidarity with the communities around its sites through a wide variety of global and local community programs. Naturex’s outlook for 2010 is very positive. After an excellent first half—with sales growth close to 15%—our sales were up 16.5% at the end of August. Our good results are driven by strong and consistent growth in the natural ingredients market and by our ability to innovate.“—Antoine Dauby, Group Marketing Director, Naturex
“Our industry is at an important crossroads given economic, regulatory and market challenges. If we work smart, these conditions can become opportunities. With people living longer, we have to help them live better. That means as a leading global supplier, we must partner with our customers to find messages that resonate with consumers so they can identify the wellness products best suited for them. But that’s only part of the equation. We must also continue to raise the bar on science. Our company’s legacy is built on credible, proven science that supports each and every one of our products. It’s imperative for all companies within the industry to take the same approach to ensure that their products are also safe and perform as promised. Consumers are becoming much more vigilant about products they buy, who makes them and where they originate. Demand will continue to escalate for natural and health-enhancing ingredients. Cognis is well positioned with our broad portfolio of products, including Tonalin CLA, Covitol natural vitamin E, Betatene natural mixed carotenoids, Heart-Choice natural phytosterols, Xangold natural lutein esters and Omevital omega 3 fatty acids.“—Greg Pflum, Vice President, Cognis Nutrition & Health, North America
“In the year ahead, we see increasing regulatory scrutiny of immune health ingredient claims. Regulators will be looking at the quality and quantity of human clinical research. In particular, we believe more attention will be paid to whether the research was conducted using the specific ingredient for which the claim is made rather than ‘borrowed.’ Also, there will be less tolerance for finished products that contain functional ingredients in per serving doses that are less than the dosing amount in the supporting study. The good news is that we continue to move toward an environment in which good science is king.“—Richard Mueller, President & CEO, Biothera
“The nutraceuticals and natural products industry is showing signs of recovery from the global recession. In fact, it appears dietary supplements and functional foods have fared better than many industries. At the same time, the emerging and developing countries have appeared as consumers as well as developers of nutraceutical products. Many people are watching with great interest the developments in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries, as well as some of the Southeast Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. It looks like 2011 may continue to show great prospects for these emerging markets.“—Paul Altaffer, Nutraceuticals World “From the Corners of the World“ Columnist
“Industry needs to become more aligned on product quality, harmonized documentation and specifications. Regulatory understanding and compliance continues to be an issue for supplement manufacturers regarding vendor qualification and ingredient ID testing. Growth in ingredient categories like omega 3s, and in particular krill oil of late, call for added vigilance. Suppliers and manufacturers wanting to jump on the bandwagon of products showing strong growth are sometimes duped with questionable quality and aggressive messaging. Balance and care should be taken to build consumer trust and confidence so as to prevent consumer confusion which can lead to unnecessary dissatisfaction.“—Todd Norton, Vice President, Business Development, Aker Biomarine Antarctic US
“In the September Nutrition Action Healthletter Dr. Michael Jacobson (executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, CSPI) wrote a memo titled “The More Things Change…“ In that memo he recapped his visit to the IFT show in Chicago in July. He compared this with his first visit back in 1972.
“In his memo he applauded the food industry, suggesting that there was a new trend to bring foods back to being healthier, more natural and safer. He talked about salt reducers, natural colors to replace synthetic colors, and my favorite topic, natural sweeteners (i.e., stevia and monk fruit) to replace sugar. He said, ‘It was great to see food technologists and the processed-food industry gravitating toward nutrition.’ The memo seemed to be a message to industry that natural, less processed, safer and healthier food is going to be OK.
“He led me to believe that he understands that food technologists are using new technologies to make foods better, and that the value added health food industry could apply new science to existing natural ingredients. Can you imagine CSPI, normal health-seeking consumers and industry all on the same page? Maybe I need to read that memo again. I must have missed something.“—Paul Paslaski, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, BioVittoria USA
“As 2010 draws to a close, the nutritional ingredients industry appears to be celebrating yet another year of steady growth. Despite the economic difficulties, 2010 looks set to follow 2009 as a year of increased sales and new product launches across the industry. Increased focus on preventable ‘lifestyle’ diseases has seen a whole sector of the community embrace healthier habits. As consumers increasingly become more health conscious we continue to see a growing trend toward preventative healthcare and improved quality of life. Looking ahead, an industry that shows so much resilience in a recession can only expect a brighter future as the market continues to improve.“—Marina Linsley, Marketing Director, NP Nutra
“As a manufacturer of herbal extracts, 2010 was a challenging year for our business. As U.S. economic conditions remain weak, we have seen an overall slowdown of demand for all herbal extract ingredients due to weaker demand from the retail sectors of the dietary supplement industry.
“A good example is the case of griffonia seed extracts. Over the past two years, this particular ingredient turned into a commodity item. The high demand of griffonia seed extracts caused the price to go from around $300 per kilogram to more than $1500 per kilogram by 2009. This high demand and short supply attracted more manufacturers to produce this extract and by early 2010 the price of griffonia seed extracts had collapsed. We have seen prices drop from the high of $1500 per kilogram to $250 per kilogram. The combination of over supply and continued weakness in the retail sector put pressure on the pricing of griffonia seed extracts. By the end of the 2nd quarter of 2010, we began seeing stabilization on the pricing of griffonia seed extracts.
“Moving into the 4th quarter of 2010, U.S. economic conditions and the retail sector remain weak, so we are expecting this trend to continue in early 2011 to the second half of 2011. During this period, we are positioning ourselves for the improvement of the dietary supplement industry by looking into new technologies to extract raw herbs and new ways to lower our manufacturing costs.“—Albert Tang, Director of U.S. Sales & Marketing, SanHerb BioTech Inc.
“It’s been a good year for weight management and sports nutrition. Sales have grown. GMPs are bringing a new level of quality and accountability to a sector that needs both. I’m more concerned about our industry’s ability to protect reputable ingredients. When Consumer Reports published its ‘Dirty Dozen,’ the industry failed to truly defend the maligned ingredients. These included bitter orange, the source of Advantra Z, Nutratech’s patented thermogenic ingredient, which has 15 years of research supporting its safety. This willingness to throw viable ingredients under the bus hurts our industry’s credibility. We must support tried-and-true ingredients like bitter orange—and prove that we can self regulate.“—Bob Green, President, Nutratech, Inc.
“China continues to draw attention from the world’s manufacturers, marketers and suppliers of dietary supplements and other natural health products. Although most experts see the great potential China’s industry holds, it remains an elusive, misunderstood and heavily regulated market. Over the last decade, many of the industries’ top companies have attempted entry only to find their expectations and plans fail to come to fruition.
“The good news is 2010 has witnessed a variety of companies beginning to find their ‘China Groove’ and succeeding where others have failed. Also, the latter part of 2010 saw the creation of the U.S.-China Health Products Association, which is in the process of gaining members who are interested in supporting the association’s regulatory advocacy mission of working toward the continued development of China’s natural health product industry. In conjunction, the association is in the unique position to assist its members in finding their very own ‘China Groove.’“—Jeff Crowther, Nutraceuticals World “Inside China“ Columnist & Founder of the U.S.-China Health Products Association
“In the past, regulatory oversight of the dietary supplement industry has been called ‘loose,’ ‘lenient’ and ‘lacking,’ and rightly so. Because of a few bad eggs, our industry has a reputation for being lax in quality and safety. With GMP requirements firmly in place, it appears that FDA has begun enforcing them. In addition, there has been an unprecedented level of FDA warning letters sent to supplement manufacturers for ‘unapproved drug claims’ and ‘false and misleading claims’ on websites. This increased regulatory oversight will eventually clean up the industry and only high-quality and ethical companies will prevail.“—Jeff Wuagneux, President & CEO, RFI Ingredients
“There are aspects of the marketplace that do not contribute to the prosperous future we envision for this industry. There are still too many products that call themselves dietary supplements, but contain undisclosed prescription drug ingredients or illegal anabolic steroids. There are still too many advertising claims that promise to cure diseases, from cancer to arthritis, without any science to back them up. There are still too many firms bringing new and untested ingredients to market, ignoring the legal requirements. To address our industry’s future, we must not accept the status quo as being good enough. We must ensure the responsible companies define this industry.“—Steve Mister, President & CEO, Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)
“In my opinion, the industry is growing economically, along with potential for better relationships with regulatory agencies. Working in contract research, we see an uptick in requests for clinical trials—some of this is due to true innovation, while the rest is mostly a result of litigation. With recent FTC rulings, it has become more evident that any company looking to make efficacy claims will need direct research, which could spur growth for more than one business category and market. The maturation of the dietary supplement and functional foods market is an exciting one to be involved with.“—Doug Kalman, Director, Business Development, Phase I Unit & Applied Clinical Trials, Miami Research Associates
“Interest in new ingredients picked up in 2010, along with new consumer product launches. However, increased FTC and FDA enforcement is causing marketers to become even more conservative in their assessment of claims and supporting science. Now it is more critical than ever for ingredient suppliers to have a solid safety and efficacy package with reasonable, yet differentiating marketing claims for unique ingredients. This is a very difficult task that requires heavy, long-term investment. To ensure a sustainable business model, partnerships between suppliers, as well as suppliers and brand marketers, will become increasingly important in order to share the risk of bringing new ingredients and consumer products to market.“—Jeremy Moore, Global Business Director, Stratum Nutrition
“Maintaining consumers’ confidence in our industry remains one of our biggest priorities. We must be transparent with our consumers and we must be dedicated to manufacturing high quality products that start with the supplier and follow the chain through a post-marketing surveillance process. We must abide by the regulations in place, and fight for strengthened enforcement as appropriate. Right now, we have this great consumer trust, and we must do everything we can to ensure that one bad event doesn’t change that forever. We must protect our industry’s future.“—Jim Hamilton, Chairman-Elect, CRN & President, DSM Nutritional Products USA, Inc.
“The impact of tightening regulatory frameworks in major global markets appears to be having a flow-on effect into the corporate culture of the U.S. Brand manufacturers and formulators appear to be raising the bar on the standards of what is acceptable, which increases demand for high quality, evidence-based ingredients. While this might result in higher retail pricing in the future, it is also anticipated that this will result in greater consumer confidence over the long term. With the decline in value of the U.S. dollar, it is likely that high quality raw materials and novel new ingredients may be in short supply, while growers and producers look to other markets in Europe, Asia and Brazil. Despite this, New Zealand will continue to emerge as a source of novel raw material supply for the U.S. market.“—Grant Washington-Smith, Nutraceuticals World “From the Corners of the World“ Columnist
“The difficult economy continues through 2010, however, acquisition activity indicates revenue growth is around the corner. Product development, virtually at a halt in 2009 began to show some signs of life. Hot vitamin: vitamin D3. Next hot vitamin: vitamin K2 MK7. Both of these vitamins have great science and low cost per dose. Omegas continue to be big movers. Will Lovaza (Rx) help or hurt supplement sales? I say help. Daily vitamin packs continue to grow in popularity (such as Usana’s HealthPak or Nu Skin’s LifePak), providing a powerful regimen of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in a convenient daily pack.“—Dan Murray, Vice President of Business Development, Xsto Solutions, LLC
“It’s clear that personal health is going to be a top-of-mind issue this year, as the first of many changes spurred by the passing of the National Healthcare Bill start to impact companies and employees in 2011. This is a perfect opportunity for the industry to get in front of the everyday consumer with well-researched preventative health products, as consumers will soon realize that being proactive about their health has never been more important.“—Paul Faganel, President, Embria Health Sciences
“Increasing emphasis is being placed on where omega 3s are sourced. Each party in an omega 3 product’s value chain should have an interest in ensuring that their EPA and DHA were acquired sustainably. The fact that EPAX has Friend of the Sea (FOS) certification and a long-term contract with our partner fishery, which is also FOS-certified, has been an asset to our customers who need to show that their oils are coming from sustainable and traceable sources, as this area is of concern to consumers—especially in the U.S. market.
“The discussion about PCB content in fish oil products in relation to California’s Proposition 65 has also shown how important purity is in the fish oil industry. EPAX has always focused on purity and set its own standards that are more strict than those requested by authorities or others in the industry. Consumers would like to know that their products are ultra-pure and safe for intake on a long-term basis.
“Overall, I believe we will see impressive growth in the pharmaceutical application of omega 3 fatty acids. Several new drugs or generic versions of existing ones will come to market in the future. The marketing of pharmaceutical omega 3 products is going to increase awareness of the health benefits among healthcare professionals, including doctors. This will also lead to increased uses of general supplements, as well as the condition-specific supplements that EPAX has been focusing on for several years.“—Baldur Hjaltason, Business Development & Sales Director, EPAX AS
“PLT devoted a lot of attention in 2010 to ‘reading the tea leaves’ as to the role of dietary supplements in consumer ‘health and wellness.’ Advocates of nutrition through food, pharmaceutical industry opponents, and government flirtations with sharply increased regulations failed to slow supplement growth. Consumers’ concerns about pharmaceutical side effects and costs, higher premiums and the appeal of natural remedies enabled us and the industry overall to post surprisingly higher results. FTC and FDA enforcement actions definitely ‘raised the bar’ for new ingredient qualification and acceptance. At PLT, we relish the challenge and are investing in maximizing our chances for 2011!“—Paul Flowerman, President, P.L. Thomas & Co., Inc.
“Despite the economic downturn, 2010 has been a great year for Ganeden Biotech. With many companies cutting budgets there has been more emphasis on smart and innovative growth initiatives, and we feel fortunate that so many companies included GanedenBC30 in their innovation plans. With more than 30 food and beverage launches, the publishing of nine clinical studies and the issuing of our 100th patent, 2010 was a great year and the foundation for many great years ahead for the probiotic industry.“—Mike Bush, Vice President of Business Development, Ganeden Biotech, Inc.
“Supplement manufacturers will continue to perfect compliance with FDA’s new cGMPs and innovative ingredient suppliers will work to understand how best to submit new dietary ingredient (NDI) notifications. And as companies gain comfort with their obligations to report serious adverse event reports (SAERs), many will recognize that the leadership shown by AHPA in getting the SAER law passed in 2006 now provides evidence of the low rate of supplement adverse experiences.
“But the most recently emerging issue is illegal drugs spiked with undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients masquerading as dietary supplements. This has now been identified as of ‘most concern’ by FDA and will only be resolved by the joint efforts of regulators and industry.“—Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)
“As one of the leading suppliers to the food and beverage as well as dietary supplement industries, we have seen a strong focus by our customers on new product development and innovation, particularly with regard to health and wellness. The increased regulatory scrutiny that we are currently experiencing is challenging but also essential because consumers need to know that labeling claims are valid, truthful and not misleading.
“The role of carbohydrates as part of a healthy diet is taking yet another turn. Health and Prevention magazines are promoting natural resistant starch to consumers via The Carb Lovers Diet (currently on the NY Times Best-Sellers List) and The Skinny Carbs Diet. The editors of these leading health magazines have evaluated the scientific substantiation behind resistant starch and have concluded that consumers should continue to eat carbohydrates as long as they contain resistant starch. It’s not every day that a new dietary ingredient seemingly falls out of the sky with more than 300 published studies. We expect continued strong interest in the benefits of natural resistant starch during the next three to five years.“—Rhonda Witwer, Senior Business Development Manager, Nutrition, National Starch Food Innovation
“A large number of people worldwide live high stress lives, and many of those same people have poor eating habits. Therefore, it is no surprise that digestive complaints and the drugs to treat them, both OTC and pharmaceutical, have increased dramatically. An increasing number of people, however, are beginning to seek more natural options for managing their GI symptoms. As a result, the digestive health segment of the nutritional supplement industry is experiencing significant growth as well. The market for supplemental digestive enzymes and probiotics will continue to expand as more people realize the benefits that these supplements provide.“—Nena Dockery, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs Manager, National Enzyme Company
“OmniActive Health Technologies, Inc., continues to experience excellent growth in the various categories it operates in, including sports nutrition and eye health. We believe that with innovative and breakthrough products, we will remain successful in helping our customers increase their businesses. As always, we maintain that delivering superior quality and an ever-evolving range of products is the key to success for the natural products industry.“—Hiren Doshi, Vice President, OmniActive Health Technologies
“The current economy has created consumers who are losing their jobs, their insurance coverage, and who can’t afford prescription medications and costly doctor visits. Consumers are turning to dietary supplements and functional foods and beverages as ways to stay healthy. But in order to get the most bang for their buck, these money-strapped consumers have become educated consumers and are looking for products that include clinically backed ingredients with unyielding safety profiles. In other words, if they are going to spend money on supplements and functional foods and beverages, they expect them to work. Products containing ingredients backed by clinical research will reap the rewards from consumers hungry for safe and effective products. Products containing clinically-backed ingredients increase industry credibility, maintain and grow the consumer base and gain long-term mass acceptance. InterHealth’s branded ingredients are backed by sound scientific research demonstrating proven product benefits and safety.“—Paul Dijkstra, CEO, InterHealth Nutraceuticals
“Consumers are equipped with an open mind but discerning eye as they increasingly turn to functional foods, beverages and dietary supplements as a foundation to maintaining good health. Credibility with mainstream shoppers is gaining hold as the industry invests more in human and animal clinical studies to support and validate ingredients’ health benefits. As we usher in 2011, the industry will continue to mature and converge to drive the ‘Health & Wellness’ category and will further expand as major food and beverage companies seek out healthful ingredients to meet consumer interest and demand.“—Matt Phillips, President, Cyvex Nutrition