8 Important Mineral & Vitamin Industry Trends to Watch in 2021

The U.S. vitamins, minerals, and supplement market reached $31.4 billion in 2020[i], with 0.5% annualized size growth between 2015 and 2020. According to CRN’s Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements 2019, vitamins and minerals continue to be the most commonly consumed supplements, with 76% of Americans purchasing them in the last 12 months.[ii]

How Big is the Vitamin and Supplement Industry?

In 2020, revenue from the vitamins and minerals segment totaled $4.3 million. This figure is expected to grow by 4.6% between 2020 and 2025.

The rising level of health consciousness and increasing awareness of balanced nutrition and preventive healthcare among Americans highly correlate with demands for vitamins and minerals.[iii] Among the growing prevalence of vitamin deficiencies due to hectic lifestyles and loss of nutrition during processing food, more people are likely to fortify their daily diet with nutritional supplements.[iv] The healthy eating index is expected to rise in 2020, boosting opportunities for existing dietary supplement brands, as well as aspiring brand owners thinking about starting their own line. On the other hand, a medium-high growth risk score and high competition can affect industry growth.

Vitamins and Mineral Industry Trends

According to an online survey conducted and published by Nielsen, of the 85% of consumers who take vitamins[v] –

57% opt for it to prevent potential health issues
55% consider it to complement their diet
46% consume it to address ailments

The notable growth in the vitamins and minerals segment is driven partly by increased demand for fortified food products such as sports nutrition drinks, milk replacement, hydration beverages, and infant formula and partly due to the increased Daily Values (D.V.s) for various vitamins and minerals by the FDA. While vitamins have been in high demand over the years, minerals are specifically gaining notable attention, due to the prevalent deficiencies experienced by the population.[vi]

Trending Vitamins and Minerals

Multivitamins and minerals are the most popular supplements, with around 58% of the people preferring them, followed by vitamin D (31%), vitamin C (28%), and vitamin B (20%), and the most popular mineral, calcium (20%).[vii]

Trends in Vitamin D

North America holds the largest share of the global vitamin D market[viii] and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% during 2019-2024. A vitamin D study suggests that vitamin D2 is less effective than D3 at raising vitamin D levels in the blood – making D3 popular amongst the U.S. audience. Additionally, with a rising trend in veganism across the globe, North American consumers prefer supplements tailored to vitamin D2 over D3 as the former doesn’t come from an animal source.

Trends in Vitamin C

Currently, in 2020, the vitamin C market is valued at $7599.3 million and is expected to reach $8389 million by 2026 end with a CAGR of 1.4% from 2021 to 2026.[ix] This may be due to the manifold health benefits it offers, along with its ability to help fight and keep infections at bay.

Trends in Minerals

In minerals, magnesium, selenium, and choline are trending. Magnesium is gaining high demand over calcium for its benefits in many health conditions, including brain and cognitive health, cardiovascular and circulatory health, and metabolism. While studies have revealed the importance of selenium for its properties to help promote prostate health, as well as bone and joint health, choline is gaining popularity for its neurodevelopmental and neuroprotective benefits.[x]

Vitamins and Minerals Industry Trends

Trends in the Vitamins and Supplements Industry

Besides a general preference for vitamins, vitamin B, D, and magnesium, products with specific combinations are gaining popularity. A product with a combination of vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid for addressing homocysteine - a marker for cardiovascular disease and a combination of vitamin C and zinc to boost immunity and fight cold are some of the examples besides multivitamins.[xi]

People increasingly prefer plant-based, whole-food, non-GMO, organic, and clean-label vitamins and minerals.[xii] Individuals are turning to vitamins, minerals, and supplements that support modern life pressures and busy lifestyles, cognitive health, stress, and mood health, sleep support, eye health, and energy. Supplement brand owners are offering numerous categories that subdivide further to appeal to the specific needs of different demographics.

Global Vitamin Market

The global vitamin market size is projected to reach $7.35 billion by the end of 2023 at a growth rate of 7.3%. This healthy growth rate can be attributed to the increasing consumer demand for fortified and functional consumables. Vitamin sales trends and market research have revealed that the most substantial markets for vitamin-based products can be found within the North American and European markets. They both represent a sizable part of industry participants and consumers. The vitamin supplements and premixes industry located in these regions is well-established and contributes heavily to the growth of the overall vitamins market size.

Vitamin and Minerals Format Trends

Consumers are seeking alternative and innovative delivery formats such as functional foods, stick packs, drinks, chocolate, and hybrid drinks. Some of the ideas to provide nutrition with natural sources could be watermelon seeds, vegetable powders, and moringa that can give a perfect combination of taste and nutrition-packed delivery.[xiii],[xiv]

While the alternative format is more popular among younger consumers, tablets and capsules are also popular among the traditional forms.

Formulation Trends

While selecting vitamin supplements, bioavailability, and nutrient absorption are some of the primary concerns for consumers. Nanotechnology, in the form of liposomal ingredients, holds the promise for the near future due to the superior stability, they offer within the environment. Micro-encapsulation and time-release technologies can also be useful formulation tools. With the availability of products in the form of chews, bars, sachets, shots, shakes, and other foods, appearance, odor, taste, and stability are gaining importance from consumers’ perspective.[xv]

Demographic Trends

Nielsen’s study shows that in 2018, 6 out of 10 American households bought vitamins, and most of these buyers are among senior couples, empty-nest couples, and high-earning suburban homes.[xvi]

Sales Channel Trends

With the ease of online purchasing, consumers are increasingly relying on online platforms for purchasing vitamin and mineral supplements. In 2018, 1 in 4 Americans said that they prefer to buy medicine and healthcare products online than in the store. An online study shows that E-commerce drives nearly one-fourth of the dollars spent on vitamins, and Amazon rules the channel with 77% of the vitamins and supplement sales.[xvii],[xviii]

How Can Brand Owners Benefit from the Growing Vitamin Ingredients Market?

The ever-increasing vitamin and minerals market holds an unprecedented business opportunity for current and aspiring brand owners. NutraScience Labs possesses over 120 years of nutraceutical industry experience and has provided over 2,300 dietary supplement brands with turnkey contract manufacturing services and solutions that have saved them time, money, and stress.

Get in touch with us today and discover how we can help you manufacture a high-quality vitamin supplement from the ground up or improve your existing formulation for today's consumers. Call 855-492-7388 now to speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives or send us your request to receive a free manufacturing price quote!

References:

[i] https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/market-size/vitamin-supplement-manufacturing-united-states/

[ii] https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/issues/2020-01/view_features/its-still-fundamental-vitamins-minerals/

[iii] https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/market-size/vitamin-supplement-manufacturing-united-states/

[iv] https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/vitamin-supplements-market-686

[v] https://tse.nacds.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/NACDS-2019-Vitamins-Minerals-and-Supplements-FINAL-7.16.19.pdf

[vi] https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/issues/2020-01/view_features/its-still-fundamental-vitamins-minerals/

[vii] https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/issues/2020-01/view_features/its-still-fundamental-vitamins-minerals/

[viii] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vitamin-d-supplements-market-forecast-to-2025---growing-acceptance-of-dietary-supplements-in-healthy-diets-301051087.html

[ix] https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/global-vitamin-c-market-size-2020-industry-size-future-trends-growth-key-factors-demand-business-share-sales-income-manufacture-players-application-scope-and-opportunities-analysis-by-outlook-2026-2020-04-28

[x] https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/issues/2020-01/view_features/its-still-fundamental-vitamins-minerals/

[xi] https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/issues/2019-01/view_features/vitamins-minerals-traditions-in-preventive-health/