For food & supplement brands hoping 2021 might be the year the FDA unveils a long-awaited regulatory framework for CBD, its Jan 7 progress report citing the need for more safety data does not provide much encouragement, with the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) blasting it as “nothing more than an end-of-Administration desk-clearing exercise.”
For many Americans, the pandemic has been a wake-up call to take better care of their health and wellness. The spike in supplement market sales, empty retail shelves, and CRN’s COVID-19 consumer survey data indicate a subset of supplement users has increased its supplement intake throughout the health crisis.
It is no secret that more dietary supplement users are seeking these products to support immune health and help maintain overall health and wellness. While more users may be prioritizing supplements for these reasons, other concerns remain top of mind, such as sleep and mental health. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule and managing stress levels are challenging in a normal time, but even more difficult throughout a pandemic. Research continues to indicate the supportive role supplements can play in these categories, including ingredients such as melatonin, magnesium, valerian, ashwagandha and lemon balm.
Trade bodies across the supply chain have urged the government to create a compensation scheme for losses incurred due to the French border closure.
Heads of food organisations – including the Food and Drink Federation, the Fresh Produce Consortium, the UK Food and Drink Exporters Association and the Chilled Food Association – have written an open letter to George Eustice, environment secretary, and Grant Shapps, transport secretary, calling for immediate action for businesses caught up in the blockade.
Calamitous decision
“The decision of the French authorities – to ban accompanied freight on 20 December 2020 – after the announcement by the UK government of the new strain of virus has caused a calamity for many food and drink businesses,” said the letter.
Probiotics for immunity: Online reviews surged 26% in first half of 2020 While digestive health remains the leading health position for probiotics in the US, immune support is the second most popular positioning with online reviews growing 26% in the first half of 2020 to hit 179,000 in July, says Lumina Intelligence.
According to the recently published
“USA: Probiotic supplements in e-commerce” report by Lumina Intelligence, a unique insights service from NutraIngredients’ parent company William Reed, there are 196 probiotic products on the US market positioned for immune support.
As with the wider immune health category, interest in probiotics positioned to support immunity has gained importance in 2020 as consumers seek ways to support their health and wellness in the face of a global pandemic.