Trend tracker: Fish oil supply, innovation in ginseng, krill oil and more

Australia aims to take back China’s no. 1 health supplements exporter spot from the US​​

Australia is aiming to topple the US as China’s number one health supplements exporter – a title which it first held in 2018 – on the back of warming political relations and market-focused NPD.

Australia became China’s largest exporter for the first time in 2018, which continued three years in a row until 2020, surpassed by the US which was the top exporter prior to Australia’s takeover.

One of the ways in winning over Chinese consumers, is to design products specifically for them, said John O’Doherty, CEO of Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA). The CMA also led a team of six member companies to Shanghai’s Healthplex Expo between June 19 to 21, the first time it had done so since COVID-19.  

Fish oil supply to recover as 2024’s first fishing season ends on a high note – GOED​

The first Peruvian fishing season this year had ended on a high note, with oil yield expected to hit at least 75k tons, said industry body GOED.

Oil yields from this year’s first fishing season, which started on April 16, are likely to hit 75k to 85k tons. Peru typically produces about 150k to 200k tons of fish oil per year. The next fishing season this year is expected to take place in late October to December.

This is a contrast to last year, where the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean due to El Niño had moved adult anchovy biomass away from the accessible fishing areas, leading to low oil yield.

Krill oil NPD: China firms apply phospholipid omega-3 into adult milk powder and more​

China companies are driving new innovation in the krill oil sector, with milk powder firm Beingmate (贝因美) incorporating the phospholipid-bound omega-3 into adult milk powder and others combining it with multiple functional ingredients for specific health purposes.

Most krill oil products are typically sold as soft gel capsules and come in a single formulation – meaning the product only contains krill oil.

However, innovation in dosage formats and formulations have popped up in the China market in the past year, Thong Luu, SVP HH&I and general manager China at Aker Biomarine told NutraIngredients-Asia ​at Healthplex Expo held in Shanghai.

Innovating with Korean ginseng: Taste and ease of use key for widening consumer base, say brands​

Korean ginseng brands are innovating with new formats and ingredient combinations as they seek to widen the appeal of the traditional botanical to consumers who prioritise taste and convenience.

Examples include adding other beneficial ingredients like vitamin C and herbs to increase product appeal.

This is seen in one of Wooshin’s new launches, Rg3 Black Ginseng Plus, a black ginseng essence combined with eight different Chinese herbs. These are packed into individual 10-ml sticks with the recommended dosage of one stick per day.

Growing market: CJ Wellcare extends blood sugar management offerings with two launches in a month​

CJ Wellcare is adding to its blood sugar management portfolio, with two successive health functional foods launched this month, as it hopes to tap on a market that had expanded 18 per cent year-on-year.

Corosolic acid extracted from banaba leaves is the star ingredient contained in both of its new launches marketed as BYOCORE Blood Sugar Care and Fatdown Slimming Shot.

The company’s successive launches are in response to a growing interest in blood sugar management, and a sector that had grown 18 per cent between 2021 and 2022.