Achieving brand differentiation with advanced dosage form technologies.

The market for dietary supplement delivery systems and the technologies behind them have changed drastically over recent years. Innovation has altered the space, driven by a number of trends—from the growing demand for botanical supplements to the booming market for probiotic solutions. At the same time, the right dosage form remains important in the minds of consumers—70 percent of U.S. consumers say dosage form matters to them when choosing their supplements or medicines.1

But, with so many consumer trends to navigate and an unending choice of dosage form solutions to choose from, the supplements market is becoming increasingly saturated. Supplement users do not want to compromise on their consumption experience—convenience, swallowability and efficacy are critical to retain consumer favor. So, how can brands and supplement producers deliver an outstanding consumer experience, while also differentiating themselves?

Here we explore the factors to consider when formulating your next supplement product and how the advances in dosage form technology can give your brand a competitive edge, without compromising on what matters most to consumers.

Standing Out on the Shelves: The Importance of Differentiation

Competition in the supplements space is fierce. With the global dietary supplement market valued at $151.9 billion (U.S.) in 2021 and expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.9 percent from 2022 to 2030, it’s important for brands to continue to innovate to avoid falling behind.2 On top of this, supplement consumers’ needs are becoming increasingly complex—not just from a health goals perspective, but also in terms of their expectations from products including safety, a requirement for 87 percent of global consumers; scientific proof of efficacy, considered necessary by 85 percent of consumers; and natural or ‘clean label’ sourcing, mentioned by 71 percent as a top purchasing value.2

Thinking beyond ingredient choice and into the delivery method when designing a new supplement product helps enable true differentiation. Research shows that, despite the range of new and unique dosage forms entering the market today, such as gummies, capsules still reign supreme for 44 percent of consumers globally.3 As a highly versatile dosage form, capsules can help brands meet consumer trends and deliver on the convenience, swallowability and efficacy that ensures customer satisfaction and enables products to stand out from the crowd.

Many of the latest capsule innovations on the market come with vegetarian, vegan or plant-based positionings, making them ideal for brands looking to win over today’s environmentally and ethically conscious consumers.

Standing out isn’t the only challenge supplement producers must overcome—the more complex the functionality of the end-product is, the more likely it is that there will be a variety of challenges to overcome during formulation, or manufacturing. So, how exactly can capsules help?

Practical Difficulties With Differentiation

A range of formulation challenges can add layers of complication during production. For example, some ingredients—particularly plant-based or botanical ingredients—come with unpleasant tastes and odors that must be masked to avoid an off-putting experience for consumers.

At the same time, ensuring the efficacy of the capsule fill is equally important when creating a supplement solution that will attract consumer attention and make them repeat purchasers. For example, acid-sensitive ingredients like probiotics need the right protection so that they can pass through the acidic stomach environment and reach the small intestine, where they are typically most effective.

The right dosage form technology can ensure that the end product delivers on consumer expectations, while also enabling brands to diversify their portfolio. Today, producers can leverage the ever-expanding choice of advanced capsule technologies to truly make their mark.

Capsule-in-capsule technology is one such solution, offering endless innovation and differentiation potential. Here, brands can utilize liquids or powders in an inner capsule with a liquid-filled outer capsule, enabling unique combinations of multiple ingredients with customizable release profiles in one, convenient dose. Designed-release capsule technology with acid protection properties is another solution that can help protect sensitive ingredients, such as probiotics, as they pass through the acidic stomach environment. And innovative capsule sealing technologies enable some ingredients to be delivered in their more bioavailable liquid form for optimal product efficacy while minimizing the risk of leakage, helping brands further bolster consumer satisfaction.

For further diversification, color is a simple addition that can create a unique, visually appealing supplement. White-colored supplements are favored by 30 percent of consumers who are likely to purchase supplements with coloring.2 This whiteness has historically been created by using titanium dioxide (TiO2), which the European Food Safety Authority (ESFA) recently classified as an unsafe food additive.4,5 TiO2-free opaque and semi-opaque capsules now offer brands the opportunity to create the bright white color they need to capture consumer attention, without the addition of harmful additives.

Supplement producers can now also utilize natural colorings in their capsules to create a standout supplement that doesn’t compromise on consumer values. Plant-based capsules can be tinted with natural ingredients like purple carrot and blue spirulina to create a visually appealing, high-performance solution that meets consumer expectations, while also standing out from competitors.

Plant-powered Innovation

The plant-based supplement space is ripe for innovation, too. Key plant-based capsule materials that have high performance and versatility, such as pullulan and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), offer brands the opportunity to overcome potential roadblocks during formulation.

Pullulan is a polysaccharide polymer that is water-soluble, made from fermented starch, and used to create vegan capsules. These capsules offer a range of benefits including a high oxygen barrier to help prevent degradation—perfect for light-sensitive ingredients. Its taste and odor masking capabilities are also beneficial for plant-based supplement formulations with unpleasant sensory properties. HPMC capsules, meanwhile, are the ideal solution for protecting moisture-sensitive and light-sensitive ingredients, due to their ability to prevent UV light penetration.

Supplements That Make an Impact

As the demand for supplements continues to grow and competition remains strong, standing out on the shelves is more important than ever. The good news is, capsule technologies have advanced and diversified, offering next-generation dosage form solutions that enable brands to set their product offering apart.

At Lonza, we help customers solve product challenges and stand out with innovative capsule technologies, science-backed ingredients, and industry-leading R&D and global manufacturing expertise. To find out more about how our portfolio of advanced dosage form solutions can help differentiate your products and unlock future-focused supplement innovation, visit our website or speak to a Lonza representative at [email protected] today. NIE

References:

1 Lonza. (2020). Proprietary Lonza U.S. survey data via Suzy, n=1,000. [Unpublished].

2 Natural Marketing Institute. (2020). Supplements/OTC/Rx Trends US and Global Databases (SORD) – U.S.

3 Natural Marketing Institute. (2020 & 2019). Supplements/OTC/Rx Trends US and Global Databases (SORD) – U.S., Germany, Italy, UK, France, Japan, Brazil.

4 Skocaj, M., Filipic, M., Petkovic, J., & Novak, S. (2011). Titanium dioxide in our everyday life; is it safe?. Radiology and Oncology, 45(4), 227–247. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10019-011-0037-0.

5 Titanium dioxide: E171 no longer considered safe when used as a food additive | EFSA (europa.eu).

Lindsey Toth, MS, RD is a registered dietitian nutritionist and director of global marketing for Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients. At Lonza, she is responsible for overseeing global product management for the nutrition portfolio, including go-to-market strategies, product innovation, and product lifecycle management. For more information, contact [email protected].