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[Vegetarian Supplements] Vol. 20 No. 5 Sept/Oct 2015

Vegetarian-Friendly Supplements Sourcing, formulating and marketing for the -free consumer

By Rachel Adams, Managing Editor

The American Dietetic Association defines a vegetarian as one that “does not include meat (including fowl) or seafood, or products containing those .” In its position on vegetarian diets, published in 2009 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the organization supported “appropriately planned vegetarian diets” by saying they’re “healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” According to a 2008 study, “ in America,” conducted by the Harris Interactive Service Bureau on behalf of , it appears many vegetarians agree; of the 7.3 million Americans that reported following a vegetarian-based diet, more than half (53 percent) claimed to do so to improve overall health. While research does support a vegetarian diet for certain health benefits, including a decreased risk of and , a vegetarian diet can also to deficiencies of certain commonly acquired via meat products or animal sources. For this reason, it’s especially important for vegetarians to supplement their diets with nutrients and essential for good health. For manufacturers and marketers of dietary supplements, vegetarian consumers can provide a unique market opportunity. However, the development of vegetarian supplements comes with its own set of unique challenges; ensuring all ingredients, including inactive ingredients, are not animal- sourced and developing an appropriate marketing strategy is critical to product success in the vegetarian supplement sector. Evolution Of Animal Avoidance The vegetarian lifestyle is not “new” by any means. In fact, there’s a holiday to acknowledge vegetarianism; World Vegetarian Day, held on Oct. 1, marks the beginning of Vegetarian Awareness Month. Per the North American , the holiday’s founder, spreading awareness of vegetarianism is beneficial because vegetarian diets “have proven health benefits, save animals’ lives and help to preserve the Earth.” It appears many vegetarians agree. In addition to the health benefits of a vegetarian diet, the Vegetarian Times study found the environment was also a concern for a large number of vegetarians (47 percent of respondents), while 39 percent claimed a vegetarian diet was a “natural approach to wellness,” 31 percent cited -safety concerns, 54 percent cited , 25 percent cited and 24 percent were following a vegetarian diet for weight maintenance. Interestingly, the poll also revealed 5.2 percent of Americans, or 11.9 million people, are “definitely interested” in following a vegetarian-based diet in the future. However, data from a 2012 Gallup poll indicates actual growth of vegetarianism isn’t impressive. In a span of 13 years (from 1999 to 2012), Gallup data showed no substantial change in the instance of vegetarianism in the , www.naturalproductsinsider.com Page 1

[Vegetarian Supplements] Vol. 20 No. 5 Sept/Oct 2015 where 5 percent of respondents identified themselves as a vegetarian in 2012 compared to 6 percent in 1999. The 2012 poll included 1,014 adults. Yet, while vegetarianism remains a strong but stagnant category in terms of growth in the United States, globally, the prevalence of vegetarianism is increasing. According to Mintel, 12 percent of adults in the followed a vegetarian or vegan diet in 2013, and that number increases to 20 percent of people aged 16 to 24 years. What’s more, Mintel found that 12 percent of global food and drink products launched in 2013 carried a vegetarian claim, up from 6 percent in 2009. Similar to the United States, nearly half (48 percent) of U.K. adults perceive meat-free products as environmentally friendly and 52 percent see them as healthy. However, to reach consumers in today’s vegetarian segment, manufacturers may need more than a vegetarian label. These already health-conscious and label-reading consumers are looking for more; trends such as non-GMO and clean label are particularly important. According to Missy Lowery, senior manager, marketing, Capsugel, “Manufacturers should first be mindful that consumers are hungry for ‘clean label’ products as well as vegetarian products; supplement users command this category as well as overlap into other healthy lifestyle markets that power the health and . By understanding what is important to the segments, manufacturers can create vegetarian products to satisfy and capitalize on all aspects of this growing consumer movement.” Other diet trends affecting use of vegetarian supplements include and the “flexitarian” diet. Veganism is a diet restrictive of all animal products, including eggs and dairy products. According to Saumil Maheshvari, marketing, Oregentics, “I think vegan has gained more traction than vegetarian lately, as vegan has even stricter standards compared to vegetarian standards when it comes to animal byproducts.” According to Mintel, the number of global launches of food and beverage products carrying a vegan claim increased from 1 percent in 2009 to 2 percent in 2013. The “flexitarian” diet, according to Laura Jones, global analyst at Mintel, entails increased consumption of -based foods and reduction of meat products. “Indeed, many meat- reducing consumers have adopted a flexible attitude, choosing to limit meat, rather than eliminate it entirely,” she said. Back To The Source According to the American Dietetic Association, key nutrients for vegetarians include , omega- 3 fatty including docosahexaenoic (DHA) and (EPA), , , , and vitamins D and B12. Many of these nutrients are commonly attained via animal sources or meat products, meaning supplementation is often required by vegetarians to achieve recommended intake levels. As many of the key nutrients for vegetarians are prominent in animal products, finding a suitable vegetarian source can be a challenge. EPA and DHA, for example, are commonly derived from fish. Plant sources of omega-3s, such as chia and flaxseed, provide the short chain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA); however, the body’s conversation of ALA to the longer-chain EPA and DHA is relatively ineffective. To provide vegetarians with a suitable DHA/EPA omega-3 product, manufacturers can turn to sources. www.naturalproductsinsider.com Page 2

[Vegetarian Supplements] Vol. 20 No. 5 Sept/Oct 2015

Vitamin D is another ingredient that can be tricky to source. Commonly derived from lanolin (found in ’s wool), some D3 ingredients many not be suitable for vegan applications. Rather, lichen-derived versions, such as Vitashine from ESB Developments, may be suitable options. Importantly, finding an appropriate vegetarian source for active ingredients is only one piece of the puzzle. Efficacy is Key Nutrients for Vegetarians also a critical component.  Protein According to Gary Brenner, business and sales development  n-3 fatty acids (DHA/EPA) manager, AlgaTechnologies, some of the key issues that  Iron arise when formulating vegetarian supplements include: 1)  Zinc whether manufacturers are sourcing raw materials with  Iodine properties that actually contain these known benefits; 2)  Calcium whether in the process of modern agriculture—plant or  algae—manufacturers are able to preserve the natural bioactive properties without adulterating or eliminating  important molecular fractions; and 3) whether in the down- Source: American Dietetic processing stage these bioactive components can be Association standardized and preserved, i.e. shelf life and stability. Brenner said manufacturers should be aware of the raw material’s source, that growing and processing methods follow good practices (GMPs), and confirm proper practices have been carried out via laboratory testing. Further, inactive compounds in a supplement, including , colors and other processing aids that are used to improve quality and promote absorption and bioavailability of the products, must be void of animal origins to meet the needs of vegetarian consumers. “Manufacturers should ensure that even non-essential or inactive components of their formulations and supplements do not contain non-vegetarian items or non-vegetarian sourced items,” Maheshvari said, citing , which is often used to manufacture capsules, as an example. “Most sources of gelatin are animal sourced, and so any supplement containing gelatin might no longer be vegetarian,” he said. Gelatin, most commonly derived from bovine or porcine and , has long been a go-to ingredient for formulating softgels. However, as noted in the article “Vegetarian Softgels Allow for Clean Labels, Stable Manufacturing,” by Marygrace Taylor in INSIDER’s Vegetarian Softgels Digital Issue, early versions of vegetarian softgels were starch-based and lacked stability to compete against more durable, gelatin-based versions. In the mid-2000s, however, FMC Corp. developed Kappa-2, a derived from a naturally occurring carbohydrate extracted from red , called . Kappa-2 binds with water to create a strong, rigid gel structure, eliminating the leaking problem common in earlier starch-based . “Delivering vegetarian supplements in a vegetarian boosts the intrinsic merit of the entire package,” Lowery said, adding that Capsugel’s capsules are vegan-approved, non-GMO, certified kosher and halal, and approved by the Vegetarian Society, a global certifying organization.

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[Vegetarian Supplements] Vol. 20 No. 5 Sept/Oct 2015

Marketing Veg-Style Marketing and labeling of vegetarian supplements can be a tricky feat; brand owners must be considerate of intellectual property (IP), substantiation and the overall market landscape to steer clear of regulatory trouble.

One important consideration is whether the product will be marketed to vegan or vegetarian consumers. “Certainly, a manufacturer should know the difference between vegan and vegetarian, and apply their label appropriately,” Maheshvari said. “Whether a consumer is vegetarian or vegan due to religious choice or personal choice or for whichever reason, it should be met with as much weight and significance as an condition.” He recommended manufacturers maintain full disclosure on product labels about any non-vegetarian sources or traces of non-vegetarian sources, similar to disclose of allergens, “so that any consumer who is strictly vegetarian can know and decide with that information.” Substantiation, as with all facets of the dietary supplement industry, is critical to promoting consumer confidence and communicating a product’s benefits. However, if research is not marketed properly, manufacturers may find themselves in a legal bind. This issue is especially important for vegetarian products, which rely on a specific plant source for the active component. Research used to substantiate the effects of active ingredients should convey the mechanisms or benefits of ingredients derived from the same plant sources used in the product. Brenner used the example of natural derived from the Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae, which can be derived from other plant sources or synthetic sources. “There are hundreds of human clinical studies, and an even greater number of animal studies, demonstrating efficacy of astaxanthin. These are all referenced to the same algae source,” he said. “The problem arises when ingredients’ suppliers are offering ‘astaxanthin’ [that is] not from the source studied and reported in peer review journals.” In addition, Michael Finamore, CEO of Gemini Pharmaceuticals Inc., suggested manufacturers “go the extra mile to ensure they correctly audit the materials to confirm the vegetarian nature, and then ensure that every part of the production process will not interfere with the vegetarian claims being made on the product.” Considering the marketplace as a whole could also be an effective marketing strategy for vegetarian supplements. This includes incorporating other key trends into the marketing approach. “Products for the vegetarian market specifically is somewhat niche, and the percentage of nutritional users who are either pure vegans or vegetarians actually make up a small percentage of the overall marketplace,” Koon said, adding that the category is growing because vegetarian products also appeal to a consumers who have religious or personal preferences regarding consumption of animal products. “It’s important to focus on the benefits of the vegetarian product (i.e., having smaller footprint, healthy, natural, etc.) because the benefits can be marketed to everyone,” he advised. As with other healthy lifestyle categories, such as non-GMO and organic, certifications can benefit vegetarian product labels. “Certifications from the Vegetarian Society and Vegan Action—as well halal, kosher, and non-GMO where applicable—enhance the attractiveness of their products to these www.naturalproductsinsider.com Page 4

[Vegetarian Supplements] Vol. 20 No. 5 Sept/Oct 2015 healthy lifestyle markets,” Lowery said. “Such transparency can bolster trust and confidence that can feed sales success.” To obtain certification from the Vegetarian Society, products must meet the following requirements:

 Free from animal flesh (meat, fowl, fish or shellfish), meat or stock, animal or carcass , gelatin, or any other ingredients resulting from slaughter  Contain only free-range eggs, when eggs are used  Free from genetically modified  No animal testing  No cross contamination of non-animal products with material of animal origin during the production process

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