Robert Brewster, president of raw material supplier company Ingredients by Nature, has a long legacy in the natural products industry. Here he discusses his family history and where he wants to lead the company next.
Question: You have a family history in the natural products industry, and next year, IBN will be celebrating its 95-year anniversary. Please describe the company’s beginnings and your family’s work.
Answer: Our story really begins in 1932 when my grandfather Marshall L. Brewster founded what became Brewster Nutrition. He was a true pioneer—well ahead of his time—focusing on human nutrition and supplementation through research into citrus, alfalfa and tomato science. He even launched one of the earliest multi-level marketing efforts in the U.S., traveling the country teaching the “ABCs of Nutrition” and showing people how targeted supplements could meaningfully improve daily diets.
In 1950, he gained full ownership and renamed the company Brewster Nutrition. That’s when our family’s deep commitment to the industry truly took root. My father, Gregory Brewster, a biochemist, joined in the early 1970s and helped evolve the business from finished products into a raw-ingredient manufacturer. He really made what the company is today possible.
Today, as the third-generation leader and president of Ingredients by Nature (IBN), I’m incredibly proud to carry forward that legacy.
Question: In 1950, the company became one of the first organizations to deliver citrus bioflavonoid ingredient formulations. In 1972, it expanded its offerings and became one of the first to offer freeze-dried probiotic cultures. What has that meant to the industry?
Answer: Those two milestones literally helped shape the modern natural products industry. In 1950, my grandfather’s introduction of citrus bioflavonoid formulations (originally referred to as “Vitamin P”) brought greater attention to these powerful plant compounds and their synergistic benefits with vitamin C—laying important groundwork for the antioxidant and wellness categories we take for granted today. Then, in 1972, my father pioneered freeze-dried probiotic cultures at a time when gut health was barely discussed. That innovation helped birth the probiotics sector and gave manufacturers reliable, shelf-stable cultures they could incorporate into products.
That pioneering spirit still drives everything we do at IBN. We remain the world’s leading manufacturer of citrus bioflavonoids, with custom formulations and clinically studied branded ingredients like Sytrinol and Eriomin that target specific health needs such as cholesterol support, blood sugar balance, and healthy aging. Our Brewster Probiotics line builds directly on my father’s freeze-drying expertise, offering custom blends and high-potency strains for both human and animal nutrition.
Question: How did your grandfather and father guide your career with the company?
Answer: Both men guided me more through their actions and values than through any formal “career talk.” My grandfather was the ultimate visionary—he showed me the power of believing in natural nutrition long before it was mainstream. He instilled in our family a deep sense of purpose: that what we make helps people live healthier lives. My father taught me the importance of rigorous science, quality manufacturing and constantly evolving the business. He shifted the company from finished products to raw ingredient leadership, emphasizing research, extraction technology and building strong supplier relationships that still define us. But most importantly he taught me that business is all about the relationship.
When I joined the company in the early 2000s, my initial role was to expand our ingredient offerings into the rapidly growing humanizing pet food industry. It was a natural extension of our core expertise in alfalfa concentrates, citrus bioflavonoids, saponins and probiotics, applying the same science-backed nutrition principles to companion animals. I had the incredible advantage of learning directly my father during that time. They encouraged me to bring fresh ideas—whether expanding into pet nutrition, investing heavily in clinical research, or forming the strategic partnership that created Ingredients by Nature.
Question: Now leading the company, what is your impact on IBN, and where do you see it headed going forward?
Answer: My biggest impact has been to accelerate our commitment to science and targeted innovation while preserving the family values that built the company. Since becoming president, we’ve invested significantly in clinical research on our citrus flavonoids, launched condition-specific branded ingredients, and expanded our reach into both human and animal nutrition markets. What started as a focused expansion into pet food has grown substantially—animal nutrition now represents about 30 percent of our total business. We’ve also strengthened our manufacturing capabilities and partnerships so we can continue delivering the custom, high-quality formulations our customers have relied on for decades.
Solid science remains our No. 1 focus. We continue to deepen our expertise in citrus science across various clinical endpoints, with new human and animal trials currently in progress for weight management, health span, sports nutrition and cognitive health.
Looking ahead, I see IBN continuing to lead at the intersection of citrus science and emerging wellness trends. Ultimately, my goal is the same as my grandfather’s and father’s: to help manufacturers create better products that genuinely improve lives. Ninety-five years in, we’re just getting started.
