SN Whole Health: Reassuring Supplement Shoppers Is a Priority

Multiple Threats

Negative publicity isn’t the only threat vitamin and supplement makers see to their industry. The Food and Drug Administration’s draft guidance for new dietary ingredients (NDI) seeks to clarify the agency’s position on reviewing new supplements before they come to market. Manufacturers and trade associations, however, claim the guidance oversteps the original authority given to the FDA back in 1994, and could cost the industry billions.

Then there’s functional food and beverages, which claim many of the same benefits supplements do. One that’s generating buzz right now is Nawgan, a canned drink that claims to improve mental acuity. The functional market has grown from $7.4 billion in 2004 to $9.2 billion in 2010, according to Mintel data, and could claim a further share of the supplement market as it continues to grow.

“These fortified foods and beverages may seem, for some consumers, an ideal way to get more of the nutrients they desire,” said Molly Maier, senior health and wellness analyst with Mintel.