Trend tracker: Kids nutrition, GLP-1, hydration and more in this round-up

Mental wellness for kids: Emotional support a key trend, says mum-founded supplements brand I’m Nutrients​​

Mental wellbeing is one of the key trends driving the kids supplement industry as consumers move towards targeted formulations for children’s needs, says child-focused brand I’m Nutrients.

Calm Mind, one of the firm’s bestselling supplements, was borne out of founder Britanny Darling’s search for a solution to help keep her child calm at school.

Apart from academic stress, children today are also dealing with technology-induced anxiety, she told NutraIngredients-Asia. ​

Dietary supplement industry reacts to GLP-1 era​

The dietary supplement industry is riding on the wave of opportunities that come with the ongoing GLP-1 trend, especially in the US, where most of the actions are taking place.

Biotechnology firm Pendulum Therapeutics, for instance, has launched Pendulum Glucose Control and GLP-1 Probiotic to improve gut health and raise GLP-1 levels.

Nutrition21 on the other hand emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to weight management, including preserving muscle mass, managing appetite, and regulating metabolism via chromium picolinate.

Beyond sports: PepsiCo highlights new opportunities for active hydration beverages in APAC – Growth Asia Summit 2024​

PepsiCo believes there is enormous potential to develop a broad and varied portfolio of active hydration beverages for the APAC market, based on the wide spectrum of active lifestyle needs in the region.

Active hydration, which spans across functional vitamin-infused drinks to sports drinks, is one key beverage category in APAC, PepsiCo Life Sciences senior scientist Teena Badshah said during her presentation at the recent Growth Asia Summit 2024.

Using Gatorade as an example, she pointed out how the core product was meant for sporting performance, while a low-calorie version was launched in South Korea for recovery from exercise sweat loss. Another No Sugar version is also available for the everyday consumer for general hydration.

South Korea’s Harim releases protein-focused RTH products and snacks to ride 'healthy pleasure' trend​

South Korean brand Harim has launched a series of protein-rich products, including a new cookie range, on the back of growing consumer demand.

Known as “Oh! Neul (Today) Protein Cookies”, each 40g packet comprises nine grams of protein and 4.3 grams of dietary fibre, which equivalent to that of an apple.

“Besides maintaining the sweet taste and crispy cookie texture, nutritional balance is achieved through isolated chicken breast protein (ICBP), milk protein, soy protein, and dietary fibre. In particular, ICBP has half the fat and more than four times the protein content of raw chicken breast, so you can replenish protein while eating snacks,” ​said the company.

China trends data: Bone and joint the mainstay, growing attention on fish oil, novel ingredient NPD​  

China’s nutraceutical market is seeing burgeoning interest in fish oil omega-3 and liver health, but bone and joint health remains one of the strongest categories, according to our in-depth analysis with experts in the country.

A growing list of novel food ingredients approved for use in 1) nutraceuticals and 2) conventionally regarded as both food and Chinese medicinal herbs is also set to fuel new product innovation.

The value of China’s dietary supplements imports climbed 7.3 per cent to US$1.65bn in Q1 this year, while exports went up 11.4 per cent to US$970m.