SupplySide West 2024: The unknown, unintended and existential

In a dietary supplement market that has grown exponentially over the last three decades, these forces span scientific scrutiny, supply chain vulnerabilities, consumer fatigue, waning industry advocacy and the unknowns inherent in regulatory change. ​

Chasing the GLP-1 craze​

Women’s health, microbiome modulation, skin and hair health, cognitive performance, mood, energy, sleep and stress solutions were front-and-center at this year’s show. No other trend, however, was more pronounced than the myriad natural products piggybacking on the popularity and performance of GLP-1 drugs.

“GLP-1 came up in at least 70% of the conversations this year,” said Stephen Daniells, editor-in-chief at NutraIngredients. “The industry seems to be riding the GLP-1 wave and making a play by linking a range of ingredients to GLP-1 support and activity.”

What kicked off with a run on berberine as #naturesozempic​ in January 2023 soon evolved into pivoting portfolios to offer companion products that embraced a supporting role in the weight management category​. Here, natural ingredients provide remedy to the ramifications of pharmaceutically suppressed hunger, whether nutrient deficiencies, gastrointestinal issues, mood changes or muscle loss.

The wave has since surged with a slew of polyphenols, probiotics and peptides marketing GLP-1 boosting claims backed by emerging science demonstrating bioactivity along metabolic pathways. 

Promoted as alternatives to the blockbuster obesity drugs, these offer natural solutions without the exorbitant price tag and the undesirable side effects—catering to a society afflicted by celebrity weight loss culture and a persistent obesity epidemic but also perhaps raising truth-in-advertising questions tied to whether a supplement can impart similar benefits to a drug.

Apex nutrients: D3 and the poultry industry, for example​

Pandemic and politics have evidenced the need for a more robust and secure global supply chain, so much so that the Department of Commerce held an inaugural Supply Chain Summit in September where it revealed a first-of-its kind diagnostic supply chain risk assessment tool to identify systemic vulnerabilities.  

The task force has also established a list of items critical to national security, a list that now through industry advocacy efforts includes what the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) has termed apex nutrients. 

These are defined as “those critical nutrients that are at the top of an entire production cycle, the absence of which creates large scale disruptions in major food production in the United States.”

Speaking at his SupplySide West members meeting, Loren Israelsen, founder and president at UNPA, cited D3 as prime example due to its indispensable role in the poultry industry. Most commercial chickens are bred in slat and litter houses without sunlight and therefore require significant D3 supplementation. Much of the world’s D3 is produced in China.

“Without D3, chickens cannot form eggs because they crack and they break, and that means no eggs and, of course, no chickens,” he said. “That would happen in about 30 to 45 days, naturally, so now we have to be thinking in terms of the global consumer base for nutrients and all the products that they are apexed to, meaning that they drive the rest of that supply chain.” 

Although a full list of apex nutrients has yet to be revealed, folic acid (a synthetic form of the B vitamin folate) is also previewed as critical and largely manufactured in China. In 2015, the implementation of China's Environmental Protection Law caused a global folic acid supply squeeze and serious price hikes.

Senator Harkin returns​

Shortly ahead of the trade show, it was announced that Senator Tom Harkin would be speaking at a “After 30 years of DSHEA, the question is: What now?” session. 

Looking back at the passage the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, he revisited his role as sponsor of the bill and his history championing the dietary supplement industry.

This included a recounting of how a handshake with Congressman Henry Waxman by a statue of humorist Will Rogers at the U.S. Capitol provided assurances that with good manufacturing practices, the law could hold industry accountable to the highest standards.

“I've often said that DSHEA represented my fundamental belief, going way back, that in America we have a sick care system,” he said. “In America, it's easy to be unhealthy and hard to be healthy. I think what DSHEA has done is that it has empowered healthier behaviors, healthier lifestyles, in all its aspects.”

Senator Harkin was also there to rally support for his Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Founded in 2013, the nonpartisan public policy research institute is focused on issues near and dear to the senator including labor and employment, people with disabilities, retirement security and wellness and nutrition. 

“I want the Harkin Institute to become the go-to national think tank on dietary supplements and natural health policy,” he said. “I have long thought that there's a real void out there—a real void in terms of getting sound, unbiased policy analysis when it comes to this area.”

As such, he positioned the institute as capable of filling this void and providing policy makers, industry and consumers with sound policy foundations to promote and empower consumers to take charge of their own health and freely choose beneficial nutritional supplements.

DSHEA at 40​

DSHEA’s 30^th​ birthday has come and gone, an occasion that prompted wide-ranging conversations about how well it is aging and if interventions are needed to ensure or refine its intended protections. 

Following Senator Harkin’s presentation, heads of the industry’s trade associations joined Dr. Cara Welch, director of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs at FDA, on stage to discuss the ‘what now’ of the regulatory landscape.

Although there appears to be general consensus that the law has stood the test of time and served its purpose well, some continue to call for updates that would better align with the modern complexities of the industry. Others repeated a cautionary refrain that advises careful consideration of the unintended consequences of modification.

“I would like us to be in a situation where we can have these really in-depth conversations with thought leaders in the industry and do that laundry list and see what can be done technically, what can't be done technically and really evaluate our risk in opening that up, because I think it's very high,” said Karen Howard, CEO and executive director of Organic & Natural Health Association.

Commenting on what she would like to see prior to DSHEA’s next decennial celebration, Dr. Welch said that having a mature industry with consumer trust in all aspects and at all levels “would be fantastic.”  She noted that good manufacturing practices have come a long way in the last decade but noted that other programmatic areas like new dietary ingredient notifications still have a way to go.

Meanwhile, the heads of the trade associations wishlisted a range of items:  FDA making better use of the enforcement tools at its disposal, clarifying drug preclusion, integrating supplements into the health care system and getting rid of extra layers like retailer programs, for example.

Will Woodlee, partner at Kleinfeld, Kaplan & Becker and general counsel to the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), said that he was heartened to see that the conversation has expanded beyond “mandatory product listing or bust” and warned that there are “passionate people who are opposed to this industry for one reason or another—right, wrong or otherwise.”

“We're really good at talking to ourselves about what a good job we've done, but as soon as we step out of this vacuum, there's a whole other conversation happening that we have to be part of, and we have to be engaged in, or else somebody else is going to write our future,” added Duffy MacKay, SVP of dietary supplements at the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA). 

A seat at the table​

When asked how to inspire more industry involvement in advocacy efforts that drive change, the heads of the trade groups acknowledged that total percent participation is at an all-time low despite the current size of the market.

They called for the redoubling of efforts to encourage companies riding on coattails and operating on the fringes to participate through membership in what the trades often describe as a fight on all fronts to safeguard consumer access to high-quality products. 

Amazon-only brands have little incentive to be involved in industry, Israelsen said, and there is room to educate Chinese suppliers about how trade associations work when not run by government. 

Another main challenge highlighted is convincing a younger generation disillusioned with politics to become true advocates for industry while learning how to avoid pitfalls past.

“It's incumbent on everyone to play a role, to advocate for being an advocate, because if you're not at the table, you're on the menu,” said Dan Fabricant, CEO and president at the National Products Association (NPA). 

Speaking with NutraIngredients at the show, Matts Johansen, CEO at Norwegian krill oil supplier Aker Biomarine, also stressed the importance of having a seat at the table. In his case, this meant accepting an invitation to participate in a roundtable discussion at the recent Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York City.

Other seats were occupied by Bill Clinton, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Director-General of the World Trade Organization Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta and Walton family heir and impact investor Lukas Walton, among others.

As the only dietary supplement industry representative, Johansen took the opportunity to address the crucial role that seafood, particularly krill, can play in combatting climate change and health inequities.  

“I think it's really important for our industry to be in those types of places, to lobby, to make sure our products, our industry is part of the solution, because there's others pushing in the other direction, and we should be part of the discussion,” he said, noting that the big pharmaceutical companies were well represented at the meeting.