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Veggies With Versatility

by Rajiv Leventhal | April 1, 2012

Manufacturers are creating vegetarian and vegan supplements to meet a wide variety of consumer needs.

Vegetarianism, in some parts of the world, is practiced out of necessity, where food is scarce and livestock is required for practical purposes. However, when food is in abundance, vegetarianism is a choice that excludes the use of animal products, such as beef, poultry and dairy, as a source of nutrition.

There are a variety of reasons why individuals choose to become vegetarian including religion, philosophy, culture, environment, economy or health, said Trisha Sugarek, BS, MS, director of R&D, Bluebonnet Nutrition Corporation, a Texas-based nutritional supplement manufacturer. There are also several types of vegetarian diets. The strictest type of vegetarianism is known as veganism, which excludes all animal products including dairy, eggs and even honey. Well-planned vegetarian diets can support good health and, according to the literature, may even lower the incidence of certain health issues, she said.

Becoming Mainstream

Given that approximately five percent of the U.S. population is vegetarian or vegan, there seems to be significant market potential.

“The market for vegetarian/vegan supplements will continue to grow as vegetarianism/veganism becomes increasingly mainstream,” said Ron Antriasian, director of business development for Florida-based supplement manufacturer Life Extension. “For example, we are asked by our customer base to reduce animal products when possible, and we have been able to respond by changing to vegetarian capsules; the additional cost is more than offset by the increase in customer satisfaction.”

Vegetarian-aware consumers make up about 25 percent of the U.S. population, added Sugarek. That means that more than 70 million are making vegetarian- aware choices each day. And 65 percent of these consumers acknowledge the benefits of taking regular dietary supplements.

Based on these findings, published by the Vegetarian Times, plus the knowledge that many vegetarians follow this lifestyle not just for religious purposes, but also out of concern about the sustainability of our food supply, the feeling is that vegetarian supplements are now staples to the natural products industry, said Sugarek. In fact, Bill Harper, vice president and publisher of the Vegetarian Times, wrote, “A vast number of people are seeking to reduce their meat intake, creating a rapidly growing market for all things vegetarian.” That trend is reflected in the growth of the magazine, which saw July through December 2007 newsstand sales increase 19.4 percent over the same period in 2006.

Additionally, Christopher Groer, president of Essential Source, Inc., a nutritional supplement manufacturer in Arizona, offered that its vegetarianfriendly B12 Strips have become so popular, that the company saw a 231 percent increase in sales from 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Moreover, Sun Chlorella USA, a California-based maker of chlorella health products, primarily sells Sun Chlorella, a nutrient-dense green superfood supplement. The company’s director of business development, Guinevere Lynn, said that there has been an increase in vegan awareness and outreach for unadulterated whole foodbased vitamins.

“We think this is an excellent trend, since obtaining one’s nutrition from food is always more bio-available,” said Lynn, who admitted that as a lifetime vegetarian herself, she’s thrilled with what the category has become. “I personally feel that supplements that help balance a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle will continue to grow since there are special nutrient requirements of this specific demographic, like B vitamins for example.”

Retail stores are also noticing the trend. “Generally, people [have been] requesting vegetarian alternatives— specifically vegan items,” said Cheryl Hughes, owner of Whole Wheatery, a California-based natural products retailer. “We sell them whenever they fit the customer’s needs, and not just because they request vegetarian/vegan, but because they are generally better for many other reasons. They have also come a long way in taste and presentation as well as having science to back up their ‘performance.’”

Many are learning about the advantages of this lifestyle choice to better health, agreed Ramona Billingslea, marketing manager at Texas-based Betsy’s Health Foods. Others also don’t agree with the often harsh treatment of cattle and chickens for mass market production and have decided to discontinue supporting these practices by no longer eating meat—capitalism in reverse, she said. “As such, the vegetarian category will surely continue to grow.”

Although the percentages of vegans and vegetarians have not changed, their sphere of influence has increased, added Phil LeBeau, vice president of sales at Vega, a Canadian plant-based supplement manufacturer. “More people are integrating plant-based meals into their lives as flexitarians. Plantbased options are becoming more mainstream—look at the popularity of ‘Meat Free Mondays,’ for example. As people are becoming more aware and eating more vegan and vegetarian meals, the market has widened.”

Supplements for All

Andreas Koch, marketing director at Barlean’s, a Washington-based supplement manufacturer, said that big food source companies are trying to meet the ever-growing meat demand of the human population, and the quickest and cheapest way is to inject livestock with hormones and other poisons. “It’s easier now to learn of this and hence make more cautious dietary choices.”

There are a number of reasons vegetarians/ vegans have chosen their path, continued Koch. “Spiritually, they avoid feeding themselves by harming animals, which are perceived as sentient beings that should not be harmed in any way. Environmentally, [it helps] reduce the amount of acreage of arable land required to meet their food needs. Financially, it helps reduce food costs, because animal products tend to be more expensive than plant foods, especially when the latter are purchased in bulk. And health wise, [the lifestyle] helps support wellness by optimizing intake of micronutrients and fiber that is abundant in whole organic plant foods, while reducing the intake of cholesterol, hormones and concentrated toxins perceived to be inherent in the eating of animal flesh.”

Barlean’s Flaxseed Oil meets these factors, said Koch, as it is raw, 100 percent organic, sustainable, non-GMO, cost effective and mixes well into foods. It is a pure, unfiltered and unrefined source of essential omega-3 fatty acids and nutrient-rich lignans, he said.

Additionally, Life Exetnsion’s Integra- Lean Irvingia (African mango) is a vegetarian supplement that targets leptin resistance. Leptin is important in weight management because it promotes the breakdown of fat in adipocytes and tells the brain to turn off chronic hunger messages, said Antriasian.

Furthermore, the company’s Mega Green Tea Extract has been concentrated and dual standardized to ensure the highest quality, consistency and biological activity. This advanced extract contains 98 percent total polyphenols and 45 percent EGCG, by far the most important polyphenol green tea provides, according to Antriasian. One capsule of Life Extension’s Mega Green Tea Extract provides more polyphenols than drinking three cups of green tea, he said.

Bluebonnet, meanwhile, offers a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan supplements, including its Targeted Multiples Veggie Choice Caplets, which are a three-a-day multivitamin and multimineral dietary supplement designed for the nutritional needs of vegetarians and vegans, and are available in easy-toswallow caplets for maximum assimilation and absorption.

Although vegetarian diets can provide many nutritional advantages, they can also present nutritional challenges, explained Sugarek. “The fact is plantbased diets often lack specific nutrients, such as vitamins A, D, E, K and B12 plus minerals like calcium, iron and zinc, which are typically found in high concentrations in animal foods. That is why this truly vegan multiple provides the only vegetarian form of vitamin D, ergocalciferol, also known as D2, plus additional gentle iron and B12, which are often low or missing in vegetarian/vegan diets,” she said. “In addition, since vegetarians are particularly concerned about the effects of the environment on their bodies, this vegetarian multiple formula supplies pomegranate, tomato extract and coenzyme Q10 to support the health of the heart, as well as popular and potent antioxidants like vitamins C, E and beta-carotene.

Covering even more areas of health, Bluebonnet’s Early Promise Prenatal Gentle DHA100 mg and 200 mg Vegetarian Softgels are for proper brain and eye development in unborn children. This unique vegetarian DHA provides life’sDHA from Martek Nutritional Sciences, a pharmaceutical- grade, vegetable-based docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) derived from marine algae in a natural triglyceride form instead of the common synthetic ethyl ester form, which often becomes oxidized/rancid. And since life’sDHA is derived from marine algae and is encapsulated in a vegetarian soft gel, it is 100 percent vegetarian from the inside out, said Sugarek.

According to retailer Billingslea, her store has seen the largest impact in its protein offerings. “We now have supplemental proteins that are completely plant based, which makes them available for a much larger variety of customers— not just vegetarians, but also those with digestive issues or are lactose- intolerant,” she said. “Our customers really love the added nutritive values of the plant-based proteins as well. Not only do they get all their amino acids, they also get EFAs, vitamins and minerals.”

Further, Vega’s LeBeau noted that convenience is becoming a major trend for consumers, and Vega’s all-in-one line of nutritional shakes offers consumers plenty of convenience. “Designed to take the guesswork out of choosing a dietary supplement, Vega One provides clean, complete nutrition with minimally- processed, all natural, nutrient-dense ingredients,” he said, adding that each Vega One nutritional shake contains 50 percent of daily recommendations for vitamins and minerals along with protein, fiber, omega-3s, antioxidants, probiotics and greens. Completely plantbased, Vega One is also free from dairy, soy and gluten, LeBeau said.

Challenges

When manufacturing vegetarian and vegan supplements, it is easy to run into quality and supply challenges. “The market is demanding organic and non- GMO products, but manufacturers have a limited supply,” said LeBeau. “Traditional resources go to traditional ingredients. For example, when there was a draught, it was difficult for manufacturers to find organic hemp.

“When these challenges occur, you have to know what your key selling benefits are and the availability of raw materials to meet market demand. It’s really a balancing act, and you have to stick to your standards when choosing which vendors and ingredients to work with,” he said. The solution, according to LeBeau, lies in converting more of conventional land to organic, non-GMO farming land. “The only way it’s going to happen is to make it worth the farmers’ time. They are business people, too.”

Further, offered Essential Source’s Groer, some forms of delivery, while superior, do not lend themselves to the vegetarian/vegan community. “Producing a stable and functional vegetarian soft gel has been a challenge for many manufacturers. Additionally, many fundamental nutrients like amino acid blends cannot be included in basic formulations. Research and development is a key to finding solutions to many of these challenges.”

Despite these manufacturing demands, LeBeau said he feels that companies are still able to get higher quality, better probiotics, and protein with improved solubility. “People used to think plant-based supplements would taste like grass, but thanks to recent advancements, we’ve been able to make a very healthy, nutritious product that tastes very good. The increase in demand has helped us become better at manufacturing.”

Simple Marketing

According to Life Extension’s Antriasian, the best way to market these or any products is to educate the consumer. Life Extension provides its wholesale customers with a myriad of tools to educate themselves and their customers, including: a complimentary tollfree supplement advisory telephone hotline staffed by health professionals ready to answer any questions regarding the company’s supplements and how to incorporate them into a healthy regimen; a monthly journal full of the very latest findings on new discoveries in health, nutrition and anti-aging supplements; and marketing support materials, such as color flyers, posters and shelf talkers, all designed to highlight product benefits and assist in the customer education process.

“The greatest way to market plantbased supplements is through education, building awareness and by sampling,” agreed LeBeau. “When you have products that really work, getting the products in the hands of consumers is key, directly in the store level. Also helpful are informational brochures and making sure you have a product label that can do the talking for you.”

This market is even more open to learning about supplements, added retailer Billingslea. “When someone who has chosen to be vegetarian/vegan comes into a store, the retailer knows they have a customer who already believes in the value of healthy eating and living, and thus will probably be more educated when it comes to the use of supplements and how they can support that lifestyle.”

Certainly, vegetarians/vegans have chosen a lifestyle that requires specific products to meet their needs. Retailers who offer such products are going to see an increase in sales generated from a very loyal customer base that is eager to generate word-of-mouth recommendations.

“When people walk into a health food retailer, they often want the best product and are willing to pay for it. The retailer sales person can essentially convert them from a whey proteinbased product, which would have been a $30 sale, to a vastly superior plantbased product that costs $70,” said LeBeau.

The potential in the plant-based supplement category is enormous for retailers, he continued. “It’s not just vegans and vegetarians buying these products; everyone is looking for something healthy nowadays.”

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