Nutrition Industry Executive (NIE) reached out to Chris Sadewasser, global product manager for Des Moines, IA-based Kemin Human Nutrition and Health to hear more of his thoughts on the cognitive health category.
NIE: What are unique challenges and opportunities that manufacturers have when formulating cognitive-health products?
Sadewasser: When it comes to formulating cognitive health products there are a few challenges and opportunities that exist.
1. The first challenge for manufacturers is overcoming consumer’s fears of new ingredients. Consumers want ingredients that work, but they are cautious with what they put in their body. Working with ingredients that have established safety helps to alleviate these concerns. Working with manufacturers, like Kemin who have established safety data, presents an opportunity to bring new and effective ingredients to your product.
2. Cognitive health spans so many different areas of focus depending on the consumer. Children (or rather their mothers) are looking for ingredients to help with learning and development, young adults are focused on cognitive performance and stress, and seniors are looking more for memory and anti-aging formulations. Working on framing your formulations to fit the demands for the various age/need groups that are efficacious and safe is also an opportunity for manufacturers to get creative.
3. Botanicals, in particular, can be a challenge when formulating into some of the newer formats like gummies or drink sticks. Dose size, flavor profiles, hygroscopicity can all be factors that need to be evaluated in greater depth with these ingredients.
4. Consumers want an experiential effect when they take products because it makes them feel like a product is working. For example, if you need an energy boost, you may drink caffeine because you can feel the burst of energy. Oftentimes some of the efficacious ingredients for cognitive health don’t have these experiential effects. This creates a challenge and opportunity for manufacturers to find a blend of ingredients that provide the experiential effect consumers desire with the effectiveness of the cognitive ingredient.
At Kemin we have a Customer Laboratory Services (CLS) team that works extensively on figuring out how to problem-solve formulation challenges with botanicals. In addition, this team works with customers to help them identify what are the best ingredients to blend together to create the product consumers desire. Our team works closely with you throughout the development process to make it easy to add botanicals to your formulation. With our safe and efficacious ingredients and technical expertise Kemin can be your trusted partner in your next product formulation.
NIE: Where do you see consumer demand and the cognitive health marketplace headed?
Sadewasser: When it comes to cognitive health, we see a shift towards products that are targeting overall mental wellness instead of just focusing on an area of concern like focus. As consumers continue to recognize the link between their cognitive health and overall wellbeing, we will see more demand for products that can service multiple pain points. Consumers recognize that their lifestyle factors like a balanced diet, exercise, quality sleep and mental stimulation are all important to maintaining their brain health. Incorporating changes in lifestyle with supplementation, where needed, is where consumers will focus for overall mental wellbeing.
