Over the next few months, it seems likely that—pandemic allowing—new consumer assumptions and expectations will emerge regarding immunity-strengthening nutrition. Dietary supplements combining probiotics, botanicals and minerals could play a significant part in shaping that world
Whether the view of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it is slowly fading into the background or simply entering a further stage of its development, it appears that consumer attitudes and behaviour across the globe are resolving themselves into a new state of equilibrium—or a ‘new normal’.
Given what we have all witnessed, it would be strange if that state did not include a sharpened awareness of the importance of nutrition and diet for a stronger immune system. Consumers have shifted their approach away from strictly addressing colds and flu, and are taking a more wellness-based, year-round preventive approach.
In fact, evidence suggests that, in Europe at least, awareness of routes to strengthening the immune system was already high before the arrival of the pandemic.
Consumer research from Mintel shows that in 2018,
for younger age groups were slightly lower, reducing to 57% in the 16-to-24 bracket.
Values for other European countries were not quite so high, but followed a similar age profile pattern.
Meanwhile, research from the same year showed that in China, 54% of consumers aged 55-to-74 said they were interested in foods with immune health-improving functional benefits.2
Whatever the pattern of per capita consumption, China has long been the largest single market for immunity-related products, from botanicals to probiotics. That is not about to change but, according to Euromonitor data from late last year3, the highest growth from larger markets for 2020 was expected to come from the US (over 30%) and Western Europe (22%)—although Europe still lags behind both the US and China in terms of market value.
Looking back over the past few months, Moran Saido Werner, global consumer insight manager of IFF Health, explained that immunity became the claim of the year as consumers sought out new ways to protect themselves against the coronavirus.
“Demand for vitamins, minerals and supplements is expected to continue to grow, as vaccine rollouts battle new surges and variants, and as health and wellness overall become more significant consumer priorities,” she explained.
Consumers are more conscious of their overall immunity, with 33% globally saying that concerns about immune health increased during 2020.⁴
References:
1. Lightspeed/Mintel, quoted in Patent Insight, April 2020. 2. Facts&Factors/Mintel, quoted in Patent Insight, April 2020. 3. Euromonitor, Consumer Health, Immune Support during Coronavirus, Oct. 2020 4. Sloan, 2021, FMCG Gurus’ February 2021, IRI Survey Collected 2021
