Vitafoods Expo Will Reveal the next Generation of Nutritional Ingredients & Trends – but Also How to Tackle Tighter Regulations

This year’s Vitafoods Europe runs from 15-17 May 2018 at the Palexpo in Geneva and is expected to reveal a range of developments in the nutraceutical industry, which is predicted to be worth $275 billion globally by 2021. According to the show, 92% of brands surveyed in advance of the expo, felt positive about future success – with healthy ageing, general well-being, digestive health, ingredient innovation, clean labels and personalised nutrition, identified among the hot trends. Along with exciting developments, Vitafoods will also be revealing the challenges the industry faces – with stricter EU regulations identified as the biggest fear of surveyed nutrition, food and supplement brands.

Key Vitafoods Trends 2018:

Personalised nutrition

Personalised nutrition is predicted to have a big future in the nutraceutical and nutritional supplement industry – something already embraced for several years by brands such as Fitnessgenes. Vitafoods have identified it as a hot trend that’s expected to gain traction through 2018. However, with technology and product innovation only now capable of making the concept a workable reality, now’s the time for brands to launch and penetrate a market that remains untapped. Vitafoods expo will feature a Personalised Nutrition Workshop to explain how the brands in the niche can achieve their potential.

Marketing regulations, clean labels and good PR

The development of nutraceutical ingredients is increasingly pushing the limits of what products can do for consumers. This, along with a growing market, is leading to an increased focus on health claims, regulations and brand compliance. At Fuel PR we’ve built an in-house regulatory team, inclusive of a qualified Dietician and Nutritionist, to give brands a fully-integrated way to ensure product compliance, while simultaneously creating market-leading PR. Nutrition brands need to find ways to stay compliant with the regulations set by bodies such as the EU, while maximising their marketing message; this includes making permitted claims, using creative wording and considering how to marry claims with other concepts such as influencers, label types and packaging design. For example, Vitafoods’ survey suggests that ‘Clean Labels’ are on-trend and may offer a stronger message than weak health claims.

Ingredient innovation – Ingredients Theatre debut

Ingredients are becoming more complex, as geneticists delve deeper into the benefits of diverse nutrients. Vitafoods has responded by launching ‘The Ingredients Theatre’ in the New Ingredients Zone – offering a deeper look at specific nutrients, products and the future.

Three big trends – Well-being, Ageing & Digestive Health

Vitafoods has revealed three big trends ahead of the expo – Healthy Ageing, General Well-Being and Digestive Health. While the first two are perennial players in the supplement and health food sectors, the emergence of digestive foods and probiotics is a new trend for 2018 and worth serious brand consideration. The emphasis will include developments in probiotic/prebiotic supplements, creating tasty functional probiotic food and marketing hot products such as kombucha tea and kefir.

Omega-3 & Hemp innovation

Another notable trend at Vitafoods 2018 will be the continued development of novel Omega-3 supplements, with particular focus on purity and innovative forms of essential fatty acids, such as chewable Omega-3’s for pregnant women. Unsurprisingly, hemp products have featured at all this year’s trade shows and will again be visible in Geneva, as the trend continues gaining momentum with the development of CBD supplements, drinks and chews.

With over 21,000 visitors and 1,100 exhibitors expected at Vitafoods in May, it’s a key expo for the nutraceutical industry, with thousands of products to sample, new ingredients to consider and key trends to follow.

For more information please contact Gillian@fuelrefuel.com at Fuel PR.