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Thoughts on SupplySide West
It’s been a couple of weeks since SupplySide West, which has given me some time to wrap my head around what was there. And the thing that was just… everywhere? GLP-1.
Slides: 2025 and beyond - what next, where next
In the slides from our recent webinar, we look at what's underpinning the trends that have been successful, and the principles and dynamics that are driving this success.
The perception of naturalness
When it comes to naturalness, there is a difference between the concept in literal terms and how it’s perceived by consumers.
How is technology influencing nutrition?
In this blog, we look at all the ways in which technology seems to be influencing the nutrition industry.
2025 and beyond: what next, where next?
In this webinar, we look at what's underpinning the trends that have been successful, and the principles and dynamics that are driving this success.
Collagen: the beautiful protein
We think of collagen as the 'beautiful' protein. Sure, it’s the most abundant protein in the body, and it’s known for joint health, but we never think of that first when we think of collagen. Making us beautiful and youthful, with flowing hair, glowing skin and manicured nails: that’s collagen.
The use of actives and VMS ingredients across collagen formats
We wanted to understand how actives and vitamins and minerals (VMS) are used in collagen products, and how this differs between format — if at all — so we dived into our data to find out.
What is a clean label?
A clean label means natural. It means made with healthy ingredients, fewer ingredients and ingredients consumers can understand.
Whitepaper: The Endless Opportunities of Agelessness
When we think of ageing, we often think about the fight against growing old or reducing the visual effects of age. But there is another way to think of ageing, reframing and shaping it into a new concept: agelessness.
Going back to basics with creatine
Creatine is big news at the moment. Not because creatine has changed, but because research has caught up to its wide-reaching health effects.
Protein powder serving size - an FYI
We talk a lot about the price of protein (powder) per kilo, but another metric of importance is the price per serving. And to help navigate that — particularly in product development — you need to understand serving size.
Short story: don't take the cookie out of the cookie
Once protein bars went mainstream, it was only a matter of time before bakery was next in line. But the success we’ve witnessed in protein bars hasn’t quite happened yet for the protein cookie. Why?
Healthy ageing is out, agelessness is in
When we think of ageing, we often think about the fight against growing old or reducing the visual effects of age. But there is another way to think of ageing, reframing and shaping it into a new concept: agelessness.
Roll call on protein cereals
Protein cereals are all the rage and every week seems to see a new option appear on our shelves. An important ingredient here is extruded protein crisps (whether soy, pea or whey), which give the crunchy and crispy texture we love. So let’s look at some of the brands using extruded protein in protein cereals.
How do we categorise superfoods?
Understanding how we categorise superfood blends, why the superfoods blends system is a tiered one, and why adapotgenic superfood blends are in a league of their own.
Gummies make taking your vitamins fun
How are brands positioning gummies against their traditional counterparts — tablets and capsules? And what exactly made gummies so popular in the first place?
How did superfoods and superfood blends go stratospheric?
In this blog, we’re asking why the superfoods category has experienced such growth over the past few years.
Redefining sports nutrition: four brands doing active nutrition right
Following on from our recent blogs diving into the meaning behind the terms active nutrition and proactive nutrition, we wanted to share some examples of brands that perfectly encapsulate the kinds of products that are winning within this changing landscape.
Superfoods have gone stratospheric, but what are superfoods and superfood blends?
Superfoods is a category and product trend synonymous with improving overall health and wellbeing. But it’s also a trend that reflects an increased interest in natural supplements, with a holistic component and a consumer desire for products with a clean label. So how does this translate to superfoods as nutritional supplements, and what was the driving force behind superfoods exploding onto the market?
The emergence of proactive nutrition
We recently talked about the active nutrition audience being separate to the traditional sports nutrition audience, and how the two differ. But what about proactive nutrition?
Are flavours that important in gummies?
Of all the gummies across Europe and North America, 98% of products only contain one flavour. It seems that the flavours associated with gummies aren’t nearly as diverse as flavours we see in protein products. But why?
Different and owning it: how to tell if we’re the right market research partner for you
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you already use Innova Market Insights or (and) Mintel. It’s ok, we know. And they're excellent at what they do, so we’re not going to try and tell you otherwise. Because actually, we’re cool with you using them. And you know why? Because we’re different. Not better. Different. Let us explain.
Protein RTM price changes
We regularly bring you pricing updates for protein RTMs, but what about how prices have been trending over the past year? We’ve analysed all protein RTM products sold on Amazon UK between May 2023 and April 2024 to better understand what’s been going on.
Gummies: a product round up
The gummies market was valued at USD 22.78bn in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 66.56bn by 20231. It comes as no surprise, then, that as the category grows, so too does the range of products within it. What's interesting to see though, is how many of these products are developing beyond the more traditional multivitamin format.
What is active nutrition?
Active nutrition. We say it a lot. But there’s every chance you’re not entirely sure what we mean by it, thanks to its relative newness as a concept and it being the kind of thing that doesn’t have one, clear definition. To understand active nutrition, we must first understand sports nutrition. The clue is in the name – nutrition that’s specifically for sports – and it’s a category that, traditionally at least, has been stereotyped by bodybuilding and an association to muscle.
Vitafoods 2024: sparking new questions
It may feel like an age ago but believe it or not, it’s only been three weeks since Vitafoods 2024 closed its doors. As always, there was an amazing range of companies exhibiting a wide range of ingredient, manufacturing and tech solutions, as well as a brilliantly insightful content programme that sparked both conversation and debate. Probably unsurprisingly, two of the biggest areas we noticed were previous trends that are showing no signs of slowing down: gummies and agelessness. While we’ve spoken about both at length, their positioning and the conversations surrounding them raised questions which we haven’t necessarily touched on before.
Collagen source comparisons: Europe vs North America
Do you know how collagen sources differ between Europe and North America? Let's take a look...
Sports nutrition for all: the evolution of a category
Sports nutrition as a category is one that, traditionally at least, has been stereotyped by bodybuilding and an association to muscle. But as consumers adopt more positive habits and behaviours towards exercise and nutrition, we’re seeing an increased interest in the role and benefits of products that are intrinsically sports nutrition related. As a result, the relevance of the category is broadening at pace. This whitepaper examines how the sports nutrition category is changing and highlights how brands can stay relevant.
Specialised or diverse? A gummy brandscape breakdown
Do brands specialise in one gummy category or do they provide a diverse range of gummy products? Interestingly, only a small number of brands specialise in a single gummy category. Both the European and US/Canadian markets see brands frequently feature three or more gummy categories in their product range with the exception of CBD gummies.
The use of branded actives in gummies
Active ingredients are the main components of a supplement - designed to cause a desired effect(s) on the body. Some supplements contain several actives to achieve multiple health benefits. Going one step further, companies also introduce branded actives to elevate a supplement's quality and price.
Standing out in the clear protein market
As one of the newer protein compositions to enter the market, clear protein faces additional challenges when it comes to competing against the better-established protein categories. One of the ways we’re seeing clear protein products distinguish themselves from other protein supplements is by using specific key word descriptors.
Superfoods: it's not a popularity contest (or is it?)
As consumer awareness around the importance of healthy lifestyle choices continues to rise, so too does the global superfood powder market, with some valuing it in the region of $7 billion. Superfood blends can be classified into four main categories: greens, reds, adaptogenic, and ‘other’. Within our ANIE database, we currently track nearly 1,000 superfood products across Europe and North America, giving us ample insight into the market.
Protein prices bucking economic trend
Given the economic instability of recent years, we’ve been surprised to see prices across several protein powder categories drop in the last 12 months. While some of these decreases have only been slight, others have been more significant.
The endless opportunities of agelessness
Increasingly we’re seeing a shift away from the negative connotations of ‘anti-ageing’ and towards the endless opportunities of ‘agelessness’. But is there a way to harness these opportunities in an industry that has traditionally been prescriptive about what the body needs at different stages?
Market watch: bars vs powders
The number of protein bars available across Europe has significantly decreased, while the protein powders category has continued to grow, according to our latest data analysis.
Expo West round up
A couple of weeks ago saw the annual behemoth that is Natural Products Expo West. Held across five days, 15 halls and one arena, there was a LOT to take in, but the journey home provided a good opportunity for reflection, so here it is.
Price differences in plant protein RTM in Europe
Did you know, in Europe, plant protein powders with multiple protein sources are about 30% more expensive than single-source plant protein powders?
Clear protein flavour trends: from whey to plant-based formulations
Although regular protein powders are a staple for many athletes and gym goers, clear proteins are becoming more popular and provide manufacturers with a great opportunity for flavour innovation, writes Chris Whiting, Business Development Manager for Nutrition at Synergy Flavours.
Trend watch: upcycled ingredients
We all know sustainability is important, and it’s interesting to see the different ways that brands approach the issue. One thing we’re seeing more and more of is the use of upcycled ingredients.
How many flavours do gummies typically come in?
Across both Europe and North America, the majority of gummy products come in just one flavour. The question is - in a world where flavour reigns supreme, why are gummies keeping it simple?
Search trends reveal protein preferences
Google search terms can tell us much more than what keywords people are looking for; take a longer-term view for example and trends start to appear. To better understand the types of products consumers are looking for and whether this is changing, we’ve taken a look at the five year search trends for ‘protein powder’, ‘protein bar’ and ‘protein drink’.
Cutting through the noise
For those short of time, this whitepaper distills the key points from our recent webinar.
Revealed: most popular collagen formats
As the interest in collagen continues to grow and brands become more established, we can see more easily which formats are firm favourites.
Category at-a-glance: pre-workout RTMs
This month, we’re looking at pre-workout RTMs. We analysed 1,480 products from 680 brands across Europe and the US and Canada to find out the following…
Clear protein market doubles in just two years
Our data has found that the number of clear protein powders on the market has more than doubled in the last two years as brands look to engage consumers beyond the traditional protein powder user profile. The data reveals that the number of clear protein powder products available across Europe has increased by 159% since January 2022.
Cutting through the noise
Active nutrition has never been so competitive. Categories are evolving, brands are democratising and new products are launching every day. And all this against a backdrop of challenging macroeconomic conditions.
So what was new? Reflections on FiE and SSW
When it comes to trade shows, the end of the year is always interesting, with Supply Side West and Food Ingredients Europe in quick succession. If you ever wanted confidence in your 2024 plans, or further inspiration to fuel those plans, then these two shows can help.
Future vision: active nutrition in 2024
Tapping into consumer trends is key to developing successful products. As category specialists in active nutrition, we’ve taken a closer look at the macro trends for 2024 to help you understand what they really mean for the sector.
An industry redefining itself - Pre-workout to energy to gaming
During this webinar we will delve into the pre-workout powder and how it's being redefined to support energy and gaming.
A gut feeling
The gut and the microbiome is one of the most important target areas to improve human health. And it is not just about symptoms of gut discomfort but multiple other interrelated benefits such as the brain. In fact, our gut is often referred to as our second brain - with huge scientific development on the ‘gut-brain’ axis.
How do brands approach the female consumer?
Science and practical application is one thing, but how are brands and products currently serving the female consumer.
Footprints, pledges and packaging
As sustainability becomes more important to consumers and retailers the active nutrition industry has responded in a multitude of different ways.
Meal replacements: A category redefined
Meal replacements have undergone a noticeable evolution over the last decade. We have broken down and analysed how this landscape looks today.
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