As the COVID-19 pandemic settles into its new normal, so do children’s routines and parents’ demands for their child’s supplements.
Chris Hachey, US Business Development Manager at GC Rieber VivoMega (Norway) said: “Supplements are a useful tool for parents to ensure a balanced and healthy diet containing nutrients such as pre- and probiotics, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and omega-3 fatty acids.” As a result, according to SPINS data, the children’s supplement market is not only stable, but thriving in brick-and-mortar stores, registering nearly 14% growth and over $800 million in sales.
Multivitamins still hold the largest share of the children’s supplement market, with sales of $308 million, according to SPINS. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. “Children’s multivitamins report the highest market share, but sales are flat compared to his five ingredients: melatonin, probiotics, elderberry, ivy leaf and vitamin C,” he said. Specialist in SPINS Natural Industry Insights products, nutrition perspective Editorial Advisory Board.
She points out that the top three health issues currently in focus in the children’s supplement market are colds and flu, sleep, and digestive health. “Ingredient trends are moving away from a more generalized approach to one focused on targeted health concerns. “It’s proven to be consistent with a healthy focus,” she adds. Other high-growth ingredients for kids are vitamin D, zinc, and fish oil, according to SPINS. Pediatricians, in particular, may recommend higher amounts of these ingredients than you’ll find in a typical multivitamin, says Kawa.
Certainly, multis represent the foundation of the children’s supplement market, but that’s not where the greatest opportunity lies. There is an opportunity to use multivitamins as a stepping stone to launch products that go beyond,” agrees Francis Lau, director of scientific affairs at OLLY PBC in San Francisco, CA. “Immune health and sustained energy, or sleep health with anti-stress products, etc.”
basic brush up
According to Saumil Maheshvari, senior vice president of business development at Orgenetics Inc. in Brea, Calif., parents are increasingly taking supplements tailored to their child’s condition, especially in the areas of growth, bone health, mental focus, and stress management. I am looking for more. “His latter two areas in particular may be a result of his COVID-related school disruptions, and parents are starting to realize that,” he says.
Omega-3 gummies for children are becoming increasingly popular in the general health and growth arena. Another back-to-basics ingredient that shows promise in children’s supplements is vitamin K2. According to Stacey Smith, NoAm’s marketing and communications manager, her MK-7 vitamin K2 ingredient from the brand Gnosis by Lesaffre (East Her Brunswick, Lille, France, and NJ) is the protein that binds calcium to bone. Promotes bone health through osteocalcin. mineral matrix.1 One study of healthy children and adults found that children had the highest levels of inactive osteocalcin, 8-10 times higher than adults, and had lower vitamin K status, making them more needed in this population. indicates that2
Gut and immune health are other strong base areas for supplements specifically for children’s conditions, and brands are getting creative with formats that appeal to picky eaters. A new children’s product called Goodbelly KIDS has arrived. Optimized for smaller bellies and available in 32 oz quarts.It features probiotic strains Lactobacillus plantarum 299c (LP299C) has been evaluated in over 16 clinical trials and shown to balance the gut and promote healthy digestion. “All of our no-sugar kids flavors, including Fruit Punch Party, Apple Juice Adventure, and Berry Blast Off, are USDA Organic, non-GMO, dairy-free, vegan, and soy-free,” says Shannon A. Garcia adds. MDS, RD, LD on behalf of Goodbelly.
A new field of supplements for children
Offering state-specific ingredients and products tailored to parents’ timely concerns is the greatest opportunity for brands and suppliers in the children’s health market. This is because parents recognize that sleep is a very important part of their child’s overall health and actively try to manage their sleep cycles.
Mental health, and related perceptions, have also become a concern for parents as the pandemic has seriously disrupted the lives and learning of many children. “Children are still experiencing negative effects even after life begins to transition to the next normal state,” says Lau. “High levels of stress and anxiety underscore the need for parents to focus on their children’s mental health.”
In this regard, according to Tom Druke, marketing director of Balchem (New Hampton, NY), products that take into account children’s cognitive function, especially those containing choline, are becoming particularly popular. Brands such as Horizon Organic, Ingenuity Brands, Gerber, and Ripple Kids have all recently released products containing choline to support brain development. Supplemented infants have been shown to process information faster than infants born to mothers who received the recommended daily intake.3 Seven years later, researchers checked in on this group and found that children born to mothers in the high choline group also had improved attention.Four
“The ability to maintain attention in challenging situations is important for nearly every area of cognitive ability,” says Druke. “Thus, this benefit has a significant impact on the individual pregnant woman and on public health as a whole.” Although it is a promising ingredient in , “there is also an opportunity to promote the growth of areas in children through brain health, and the developmental benefits that come from this important nutrient.”
clean for kids
One of the most important attributes going forward for children’s supplement brands and ingredient suppliers is clean label. This means a focus on clean excipients and ingredients such as natural colors, flavors and preservatives, as well as the use of zero and low calorie sweeteners such as stevia and monk fruit. This is because the parent demographic is changing and new parents (millennials) are more conscious consumers, taking advantage of the wide range of information available online.
“The bigger macro trend [in the children’s supplement market] This reflects what we have seen in millennial-conscious, informed consumerism: the emphasis on products with clean-label ingredients from sustainable and transparent supply chains. ,” agrees Maheshwari. “The back of the bottle becomes more and more important, along with what the brand stands for.”
References
- van Summeren MJH et al. Effect of menanquinone-7 (vitamin K2) supplementation on osteocalcin carboxylation in healthy prepubescent children. British Journal of Nutrition, roll. 102, no. 8 (October 2009): 1171-1178
- Theuwissen E et al. “Vitamin K status in healthy volunteers.” food & function, roll. 5, no. 2 (February 2014): 229-234
- Caudill MA et al. “Maternal Choline Supplementation in Late Pregnancy Improves Information Processing Speed in Infants: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Feeding Study.” FASEB Journal, roll. 32, no. 4 (April 2018): 2172-2180
- Bahnfleth CL et al. “Prenatal Choline Supplementation Improves Sustained Attention in Children: A 7-Year Follow-up Study of a Randomized Controlled Feeding Trial.” FASEB Journal, roll. 36, no. 1 (January 2022): e22054
