Emerging nutraceutical markets

Pooled from Euromonitor, Datamonitor, Mintel and Nutrition Business Journal, the data was gathered by Capsugel's global business development manager for dietary supplements Peter Zambetti.

Zambetti, who is also in the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Association's (IADSA) global market affairs department, was addressing attendees at the recent Supply Side East trade show in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Brazil

According to Zambetti, Brazil is "a very difficult market to get into".

"The regulations there are difficult, most products are treated as drugs.

There are tremendous opportunities but a lot of hurdles - if you want to get in there, it'll be years, not months," he told industry members.

The overall nutraceuticals market in Brazil was worth around $881m in 2006, said Zambetti.

The Latin American market as a whole made up about 3.1 percent of global nutraceutical sales.

In terms of product preferences in the Brazilian market, multivitamins was far ahead any other product, recording sales of around $250m. Vitamin C was the second most popular product, with sales of over $100m, Tonics, child specific products and calcium all pass the $50m barrier, while other products below $50m included vitamin B, Gingko Biloba and Vitamin E. India According to Zambetti, India present a "huge market opportunity".

The market shot forward with a 38 percent increase, he said.

The biggest selling product in the nutraceuticals category in 2006 were minerals, which recorded sales of almost $120m. Vitamins were close behind, with sales of almost $100m. Protein powder came third, with sales of around $90m.

Fourth in line was Chyawanprash, which contains 48 different ingredients and which hit the $60m mark.

Multivitamins sold almost $60m, and glucose powder was next at just over $40m. Ginseng saw sales of around $30m, vitamin B and calcium sold around $20 each, while the vitamin C market was worth just over $10m. Africa and the Middle East Multivitamins were the biggest selling product in these two regions, with combined sales of almost $300m in 2006.

Vitamin B saw sales of almost $150m, and vitamin C sold almost $75m. Calcium and child specific products stood at the $50m mark, with other products below $50m including minerals, vitamin E, tonics and fish oils.

Turkey

The nutraceuticals market in Turkey is thought to be worth around $200m - a small but fast growing market, which grew from almost nothing ten years ago.

Multivitamins were again the largest product category, with sales of just over $70m in 2006.

These were followed by calcium, with sales over $40m, and minerals, which sold just over $10m. Other products under the $10m mark were child specific products, B vitamins, tonics, vitamins C, D and E, and fish oils.