This Frost & Sullivan research service titled InvestFrost Chemicals - European Heart Health Ingredients Market provides growth monitor, investment themes, key developments and country-wise attractiveness for the US heart health ingredients. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following markets: phytosterols, omega-3, soy protein, and beta-glucan.
Market Overview
The European Food and Beverage Industry Introduces Innovative Healthy Food Products to Cater to the Growing Consumer Trend towards Health Foods
The trend towards a healthy life and longer life expectancy is gaining impetus, thanks to extensive media focus on heart health ingredients. Consumers are preferring foods that are not just tasty, but also healthy. Therefore, foods and beverage manufactures have begun to introduce innovative food products, based on heart health ingredients. “In 2006 in the European Union (EU), heart diseases accounted for 42.8 per cent of total deaths among men and 54.0 per cent of deaths among women,” says the financial analyst of this research. The Lancet journal observes that European men and women, on an average, do not experience age-related health problems up to 67 years and 69 years, respectively. Europe’s statistics for 2005 indicate that the mean life expectancy in the EU was 78 years for men and 83 years for women. The ageing European citizens want to lead a healthy life without significantly limiting their activities and are motivated to change their lifestyle and food habits.
However, the food manufacturers are unable to take complete advantage of the market demand because the EU Food Labelling Directive of 2000 has not defined the conditions for the use of health claims. Although the industry associations are lobbying extensively for the usage of health claims, the lack of clear legislation prevents health claims being made on products. “Manufacturers may be required to alter product formulations due to issues relating to safe maximum levels of ingredients and the alteration being expensive, small and medium-sized companies struggle to adapt to the new regulations,” explains the analyst. “Furthermore, due to the lack of clarity in legal definitions, regulatory approvals for products tend to get delayed at times.”
In Europe, the manufacturers submit their dossiers to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to enable the usage of health claims for their ingredients. They also focus on producing more scientific and research back-up, establishing the effects of their ingredients on human heart because customers’ purchasing decision is influenced by health claims. Suppliers invest in extensive branding and promotional activities to increase consumer awareness on the positive impact of various ingredients to heart health. “The majority of the almost 3500 omega-3 based products launched globally were in Europe,” concludes the analyst. “The region accounted for 63.0 per cent of the global product launches of plant sterols from 2002 to 2008, whereas North America accounted for only 17 per cent during the same period.”
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