The global nutrition industry is looking particularly dynamic at the moment. The vast majority of nutrition and nutraceutical companies launched new products this year on Vitafoods Europe (9-11 May, Palexpo, Geneva). It’s the global nutraceutical event, featuring exhibitors from all over the world in four key market areas: ingredients & raw materials; branded finished products; contract manufacturing & private label; and services & equipment.
According to ingredientcommunications. com almost half of exhibitors (46%) said they would launch between one and four new products, with 25% planning five to nine. When asked which three health benefit areas were most important for their companies, one in three (33%) respondents listed general health and well-being. Three in ten (31%) listed cardiovascular health and healthy ageing, and 29% listed weight management and bone and joint health. But for Lycored — global wellness company, which have been the leader in the research and development of carotenoid-based wellness products for twenty years — ingestible skincare will be the main focus at Vitafoods Europe.
About Lycored, it’s products, activities and plans for future you can learn from the interview with Zev Ziegler, Head of Global Brand & Marketing, Health at Lycored.
«RM&P»: Please, tell us a little about Lycored, its past, present and future. What are the main goals, you set for yourself today?
Lycored was established in 1995 and we’re now the global leader in natural carotenoids for food, beverage and dietary supplement products. As a global wellness company, our aim is to meet the needs of consumers, and the companies offering them targeted health solutions, worldwide. However, our ambitions go further than that. We’re currently on a mission to change consumers’ perception of «beautiful,» and start a conversation about what beauty actually is.
«RM&P»: Why did you choose carotenoids? What are their useful properties and in what areas do they find their application?
Carotenoids have been at the very heart of Lycored since Day One. Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about them — from their ability to partner with other nutrients to the wealth of nutrition found inside each tiny molecule. The human body cannot manufacture them, making supplementation and dietary incorporation a necessity, which is why carotenoids are the star ingredient of many of our products. Lyc-O-Mato®, for example, is an additive-free, tomato-derived oleoresin consisting of lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene, beta-carotene, tocopherols, and phytosterols. This naturally-occurring blend of carotenoids and sterols is important—they possess a unique synergy that enhances the overall nutritional effect of each individual component.
«RM&P»: How you ensure the supply chain of dietary supplementation from the point of view of raw materials and ingredients quality and safety?
Safety and efficacy are our top priorities. We stay abreast of ever-changing dietary supplement regulations worldwide to ensure all of our supplement and nutrition products meet quality standards. All our processing is carried out according to the highest possible standards and with constant regard for safety.
«RM&P»: Which are the most innovative products your company offers at Vitafoods Europe this year? Is there any research, providing evidence for some of the health benefits of these products?
Our main focus at Vitafoods Europe was LycodermTM — our unique supplement-ready blend which fosters skin wellness from the inside out. LycodermTM includes precise ratios of lycopene from tomatoes, as well as the carotenoids phytoene and phytofluene which can absorb UVA and UVB light.
There’s a lot of scientific evidence for its value to consumers. In fact research demonstrating some of its benefits has just won a prestigious award. The study, commissioned by Lycored and carried out by researchers at the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, shows that oral supplementation with lutein or lycopene-rich tomato nutrient complex may help protect the skin against UV radiation*.
«RM&P»: How to convince the consumer? Please, tell us about your new #rethinkbeautiful campaign and even more new campaign “Letters for Love”. What are the main goals they will help to achieve?
With our #rethink beautiful campaigns and the Letters for Love initiative, we’re on a mission to free beauty from its proverbial box and create an emotional connection to ingestible skincare. By shedding light on the concept of beauty as something greater than physical appearance we aim to educate the public on how the same can be said for the role of ingestible skincare. We’ve already achieved significant results in consumer-facing media and on social media, with over 400,000 views for our “Beauty is What you Make it” film.
«RM&P»: Market trends and consumer habits are different in different countries. Are you agree with this statement? How does this impact on your activities?
Lycored understands that consumers everywhere are different, We work hard to understand the needs of different markets, and to be versatile so we can meet the specific needs of the manufacturers we serve, wherever they are.
«RM&P»: Which are, on your opinion, the most recent developments and trends in the field of dietary supplementation and «beauty from within» ingredients? And in the final consumer products?
One of the most important trends is that beauty from within is heading for the mainstream. Ahead of Vitafoods Europe, we surveyed 480 British and French consumers. Two thirds (66%) agreed with the statement “The idea of taking a supplement for skin health or beauty is normal.” Only 14% said the idea was “not normal.” The other key finding was that millennials are more likely to have used an ingestible skincare product than older age groups, indicating a shift in attitudes over time. Over four in ten (43%) consumers in the millennial age group (18-35) said they had used an oral product to benefit their skin health at some point. This compared with 39% of 36-49 year olds, 23% of those aged between 50 and 69, and 14% of those aged 70 or over.
«RM&P»: On your opinion, how is the dietary supplements market going to evolve in the next future? And in the long term? Are you going to expand your range of products and your market in the future?
The future is very bright! Consumers generally are increasingly aware of the importance of nutrition and millennials in particular are more and more open to the possibilities offered by supplements. Our research has shown that there’s a very clear generational shift in favour of ingestible skincare, and with further work to inform consumers we can achieve even more.
Our mission is to make the best of nature available to consumers everywhere, and we’re constantly looking at new ways to do that. So, yes – you can expect additions to our range in future!
Acknowlegment
The publishing house ‘’Beauty for Proffesionals’’ and the editorial office of “Raw materials and packaging’’ magazine are grateful to the Ingredient Communications. Company (www. ingredientcommunications. com) and Steve Hartman personally for the active assistance in the organization of the interview. We also thank Zev Ziegler for the interesting information.
* S.Grether-Beck et. al., «Molecular evidence that oral supplementation with lycopene or lutein protects human skin against ultraviolet radiation: Results from a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over study», Br J Dermatol. 2017 May;176(5):1231-1240 (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjd.15080/full)