Bloomage sees vast potential in SEA-made nutraceuticals for China market

Known for its expertise in hyaluronic acid ingredient, Bloomage has rapidly expanded to producing other functional ingredients such as pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), as well as consumer products in the functional food and skincare space.   

An example of its consumer product is Whater, a drinking water enriched with hyaluronic acid. It is said to contain zero sugar and fats.

Another example is hyalur, a gummy containing sodium hyaluronate and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) for supporting sleep.

The company is now looking to expand its presence in South East Asia (SEA), on the back of increased industry attention on this region. 

“South East Asia has seen rapid growth in the nutritional supplements market in recent years, presenting a vast market potential. Recently, we have observed a significant increase in the number of nutritional supplement processing plants and production capacity in SEA,” ​said Liu Zhao, general manager of Bloomage's Singapore subsidiary.

There is also a trend of Chinese companies manufacturing products in SEA and selling them into China via cross-border e-commerce (CBEC), which Liu said was a trend that Bloomage could hop on.  

“​Many cross-border e-commerce products sold into China are increasingly being produced in SEA countries," ​said Liu, adding that the company sees good potential in this route. 

"​In the SEA market, Bloomage places great importance on products in the fields of hyaluronic acid, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and other oral beauty and cognitive health supplements, with a focus on customised specifications for major clients. We hope to achieve substantial sales growth in the future," ​Liu added.

Bloomage is also attending Vitafoods Asia in Bangkok next month. 

The company has been participating in more tradeshows across SEA in recent years, including CPHI SEA that was also held in Bangkok last month. 

At the show, the firm showcased its sodium hyaluronate, recombinant human collagen III for collagen regeneration, ectoine, polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), and culture medium products.  

Within SEA, Indonesia was one of the top five health foods exporters to China​, only behind the US, Australia, and Germany, and ahead of Japan in year 2022.

Famed for its edible bird’s nest exports, the value of Indonesian health foods exports into China was US$450m in 2022. The momentum continued to Q1 this year, where it remained in the top five.​

Herbal drink maker Wanglaoji is an example​ which is planning to build a local production site in SEA to reduce cost and improve supply chain. Currently, its top three markets in the region are Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.

Nutricosmetics trends ​

Beyond collagen and hyaluronic acid, Bloomage is seeing new ingredients emerging in SEA’s oral beauty market.

Liu noted that the variety and functionality of the ingredients were becoming more diverse, including the use of novel plant extracts.

“Our strategy remains focused on bioactive substances, providing high-quality ingredients with greater benefits backed by data. For instance, this year we launched UltraHA® J, a sodium hyaluronate product specifically for bone and joint health, and MitoPQQ™, a bioactive substance which works at the cell level for anti-ageing.” ​

The water soluble MitoPQQ™ is produced via fermentation and is said to promote the body’s production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and mitochondria function.

Found in fruits, vegetables, and grains, PQQ is a trending ingredient in China. Last year, the Chinese authorities also approved PQQ disodium salt for use as a novel food ingredient.