Vital ingredient
Today marks the start of Vitafoods Europe 2024 where the world of nutraceuticals is placed at the heart of the food and drink industry.
Vitafoods has proven to be the ideal meeting point for industry experts and leading companies for networking, collaboration, and innovation. Nutraceuticals’ profile being raised over the years helps tremendously, too.
The buzz around this year’s exhibition is being driven by neutraceuticals playing a central role in preventative healthcare. The logic is simple. On one hand, an ageing population gives rise to lifestyle-related diseases, whose impact can be lessened by making healthier choices earlier in life. At the other end, consumers want to lead healthier lives to experience more from a work/life balance.
This convergence of medicine, food and technology is creating a battleground in which food and pharma companies continue to develop their portfolios for the sector’s evolution.
From the wealth of press releases sent to-date, companies are working across a number of areas – technology, product strategy, compliance, marketing, supply chain management and corporate deals – to find success.
The emergence of new categories in health & wellness such as anti-ageing, energy-boosting, skincare, digestive care, etc. are emerging as fast-growing. Additionally, an increased product penetration in existing categories such as fortified water in the health drink sub-segment, fortified noodles, flavours in sports and energy drinks, etc. is likely to drive the demand for nutraceuticals over the next five years. While future growth and opportunities will come from functional food & beverages, which will bring healthy gains adding significant momentum.
Visitors will find experts addressing key challenges and opportunities in the nutraceutical industry. They will also have the chance to network with fellow experts, establish lasting relationships, and exchange information with distributors and suppliers from around the world.
The fair showcases both raw materials and food additives, as well as final products such as food, functional beverages, dietary supplements, and other health-promoting items. For manufacturers, it is an excellent opportunity to find new or alternative suppliers of raw materials, food additives, and dietary supplements. The fair covers a wide range of products, from dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, pharmaceutical products to functional food and beverages, raw materials for production, natural supplements, food flavours, edible oils, vitamin sweets, hemp products, to dyes, energy bars, and prebiotics.
The market should see rapid retail growth as an increasing number of supermarkets, health and wellness chains, etc. are expected to increase the consumer’s accessibility to nutraceutical products. Also, a change in consumption patterns and urbanisation will be key drivers. A focus on fitness and general well-being is leading consumers to intake food products that cater to their additional specific requirements such as proteins, antioxidants, vitamins, etc. With a rising urban global population, consumption patterns will change in the nutraceuticals market. The traditional dietary supplements dominant market can be expected to be driven by functional foods.
Vitafoods Europe is a genuine treasure trove of information; a professional trade show that nourishes innovation to give rise to future developments. As an exhibition, it provides visibility to ingredients, finished products, formulations, and technologies ready to be in the limelight.
- Rodney Jack, editor, Food & Drink Technology.
Keep in touch via email: rodney@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @foodanddrinktec or LinkedIn: Food & Drink Technology magazine.