Food-like dosage forms of health supplements are making progress.
Food-like dosage forms such as jellies and gummies are fast becoming the market trend.
The demand for gummy and jelly stick supplements grows as lifestyle-friendly dosage forms improve the taste and feel of supplementation. People now love health supplements more. And, the demand for health products in Taiwan is rising astonishingly with a market now exceeding 100 billion per year. Many people want to supply nutrients to their bodies without having to put many mealtimes in their schedules. They want to have their body replenished in seconds. So, they opt for food-like supplements. Unfortunately, many people deal with psychological barriers when taking health products. Many supplements are drug-like rather than food-like making it feel like one is simply taking another unattractive medication. Today, the number of people rejecting supplements in the form of capsules and lozenges is higher than imagined. People want to take a dietary supplement that actually feels like food (food-like supplement). Thus, the demand for gummy supplements and jelly stick supplements has greatly increased over the years.
[1]According to statistics from the Spiegel Institute, more than 50% of people in the United States and over 60% of people in Germany have trouble swallowing capsules and lozenges. This means that one out of every two people has difficulty swallowing healthy food. This problem affects not only the elderly and children but also adults. Capsules and lozenges can cause people to feel pressure and replicate the experience of swallowing conventional drugs. Health foods are not drugs and are not used to cure illnesses. Their taste becomes a crucial determining factor that dictates the willingness of people to take them. This ultimately impacts its long-term use and affects whole-person wellness.
In 2015, [2]the FDA began limiting the size of capsules and lozenges in hopes of reducing the difficulty of swallowing. Health products around the world are also gradually transforming into lifestyle-friendly dosage forms in response to demand. They are looking to make substantial improvements in the appearance, taste, and consumption methods of health products so much that they do not feel like meds when taken.
Today, there are different food-like supplement options on the market, and we no longer have to swallow sugar-coated pills.
What is the “lifestyle-friendly dosage form”? To put it simply, it is the dosage form that looks more like food. Apart from beverages and instant powder, which are easy to consume, gummy supplements and jelly stick supplements have become the new trend in the health food market. They are not merely integrated into life but are gradually becoming snacks so that the word “food” in health food can live up to its promise to stimulate the palate.
Statistics of online consumption data according to [3]CBN Data show that Generation Z has a preference for health foods like gummy supplements and jelly stick supplements, as reflected in the sales volume. The lifestyle-friendly dosage forms that do not need to be swallowed with water are loved by young people because of their convenience and taste. With the rising trend toward sugar-free and vegan, gummy health foods for adults account for 65% of all gummy health foods. Thus, vegans or people on other diet plans can also be included in the sales map.
Lifestyle-friendly dosage forms have been popular among customers of all ages in different regions from their very first appearance in the market, affecting the development and trend of dosage forms in the health food market. It is estimated that in 2027 [4], the global gummy health food market will reach about USD2.3 billion, and the market share of jelly, the new type of health food that started in East Asia, will climb year by year and is expected to show considerable growth in the world.
[1] MARKET STUDY SUMMARY-A HARD TRUTH TO SWALLOW?
https://www.swallowingtablets.com/
[2] Size, Shape, and Other Physical Attributes of GenericTablets and Capsules
https://www.fda.gov/media/87344/download
[3]天貓2020 年輕人保健品線上態度調查
https://pdf.dfcfw.com/pdf/H3_AP202010231423252658_1.pdf?1603477923000.pdf
[4]軟糖市場成長-Valuates Reports
https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/gummy-vitamins-market-size-to-reach-usd-2286-7-million-by-2027-at-a-cagr-of-4-5-valuates-reports-827425383.html
Research and development and process technology are the keys to lifestyle-friendly dosage forms to eliminate the sense of food and medicine.
It is not so easy to produce “lifestyle-friendly dosage forms”. Health food products were initially made into capsules and tablets because the active ingredients in them have different flavors and properties that may interact. The interaction between these ingredients may affect the taste, flavour, and even efficacy of the supplement. So, using highly stable capsules and tablets as covers was the easiest way during manufacturing.
It may be difficult to maintain the potency of active ingredients through the manufacturing stages of lifestyle-friendly dosage forms such as gummies and jelly. Some nutrients may be lost before consumption. When some common health food ingredients such as saffron, astaxanthin, and okra are used in -lifestyle-friendly dosage forms, the nutrients are easily destroyed. The taste is also easily changed due to poor temperature control. This results in a limited selection of ingredients and ultimately reduces the efficacy of the supplement.
Some manufacturers focus on pleasing the taste of consumers and opt to add heavy flavors and minimal active ingredients. The result? Inefficiency due to improper dosing of nutrients. This defies the original intention of the “lifestyle-friendly dosage form” being both healthy and delicious.
The FRESH-Jelly®, developed by Wel-Bloom Biotech over two and a half years, is recognized as one of the highest quality health products on the market, with efficacy and taste recognized by both Monde Selection and ITQI. The product was prepared from a deep desire to offer people health and taste without sacrificing one for the other.
Due to process and ingredient limitations, FRESH-Jelly® can carry higher doses of active ingredients. Taking collagen as an example, the dose of collagen in one jelly stick supplement is equivalent to ten capsules, and the water-soluble gel can maintain the high activity of ingredients and present a better taste and texture. With the Tri-safe® technology, the temperature, time, and pressure are precisely controlled without adding preservatives, and the UV light and oxygen are blocked from the packaging with multi-layer laminate materials, to retain the active ingredients more effectively. The special water-soluble colloid made of natural plant ingredients can evenly disperse the nutrients for better absorption by the human body.
In addition, for more ingredients that are difficult to harmonize in flavor or easily degraded and deactivated in terms of properties, Wel-Bloom Biotech has launched the Nutri-Crypt®, which has obtained patents from 3 countries and can protect the ingredients from heat damage during processing or damage by gastric juice after consumption. This maintains the effects until absorbed in the intestines and aids maximum absorption in the body. It can also mask the unpleasant taste of the active ingredients, solving the problem of the poor taste of nutrients and increasing consumer acceptance.
The maturity of the research and development technology of lifestyle-friendly dosage forms affects the quality and effectiveness of the health foods consumers take. With the new wave in the industry, people will rely more and more on lifestyle-friendly health foods such as gummy supplements and jelly stick supplements. More people who are afraid of health foods and have been discouraged by their unpleasant tastes in the past will also start to develop an appetite for health foods again. The earlier brands invest in lifestyle-friendly dosage forms, the sooner they can seize this expanding business opportunity.
