DSM formulates 5 functional nutrition beverage premixes to meet wide range of customer needs

Can DSM relate to these 5 product development (premixes) with its recent consumer insights ?

Each product range was developed through DSM’s thorough research and insights[1] to what consumers are looking for these days. The products consider the top 5 health concerns, as well as consumer awareness on what they want to prevent or tackle when it comes to health and ageing healthily.

• Beauty: our research and insights highlighted that consumers are looking for edible beauty products, where looking good equates to feeling good from the inside and out. Consumers are increasingly worried about their skin, hair, and nail conditions as they lead busier and more stressful lifestyles.

• 53% of APAC consumers are worried about skin problems. 38% of APAC consumers find that food and drink products positioned around improving skin health appealing, and this growing appetite has seen a 49% increase for new product launches of F&B beauty products over the past 3 years.

• Energy: what people want from energy beverages is changing and consumers are looking for clean labelling and a more balanced or sustained energy boost. Consumers are looking for their energy boosts in a range of formats that is not just tea or coffee.

• Two-thirds of APAC consumers worry about energy levels. Over 30% of those who take action look to improve their diet or nutrition to address energy concerns, and this is where DSM’s premixes come in handy.

• Immunity: immune support is one pillar that is set to make a long-lasting change as a result of the pandemic. More consumers are educated about taking a proactive approach to immune health and embrace holistic health and being healthier longer. Immunity is also more important than ever before and is a key concern amongst consumers of all ages.

• 50% of APAC consumers worry about immunity and disease prevention. 62% of APAC consumers are interested in functional food & drink products that offer immune health benefits.

• Sports & Mobility: consumers want to train their bodies to handle whatever new challenges come their way. They want to build strength and look good, so that they can continue doing the things they love. Supporting bone health is important in all stage of life, so it is important to start young.

• 55% of APAC consumers are worried about their bones, joints and mobility. The growing interest to maintain bone health is driven by consumers wanting to make active improvements for their health as they get older, and 27% of consumers do this through diet and nutrition.

• Vision: A digitally dependent and modern lifestyle can make it seem like eyesight deterioration is inevitable. Preventative measures are essential to maintaining healthy vision and nutritional solutions can help preserve your eyesight at every stage of life.

• 62% of APAC consumers are worried about their eye health and is the number one health concern in the region. 48% feel that good vision is central to maintaining a good quality of life, and consumers are interested in food and drink products that address eye health concerns.

These products (premixes) can also be customised according to the need of manufacturers. Can you elaborate on this?

In the past, DSM has worked on customised solutions for our customers, from its formulation and testing to market-ready solutions. Such customised processes are perfect for customers that are looking for specific products that are tailor-made to their needs. Many of these customers would have also been in the nutrition or functional health space, allowing them to better understand their end-consumers’ needs and demands.

The opportunity for ready-to-go premixes lies in our purpose-led expertise in being able to formulate on-trend and market-ready solutions that can suit a wider variety of customers – whether they are just getting into the nutritional or functional health industry, or are smaller in scale, for example SMEs or homegrown brands.

Ready-to-go premixes allow for a lower cost in production and order quantities, faster lead time and product development, and market-ready, shelf-stable products. The benefit of ready-to-go premixes also lie in our end-to-end capabilities, where each product has been tested for stability and nutritional claim benefits and meet the demands or requirements for various regulatory checks across different markets, in addition to being on-trend.

With the current pandemic, will these new range of products (premixes) help to strengthen your customer offerings/margins?

DSM believes that such plug-and-play options allow a wider breadth of customers to enter the functional health or nutrition space, without the high barriers of entry. It enhances their ability to provide purpose-driven solutions and products that are timely and meet the demands of consumers today. As more people are taking care of their health, and adopt a more preventative approach to their health, they are looking for ways to seamlessly incorporate healthful nutrition-focused solutions into their everyday routines. Ultimately, the first step of good health stems from good nutrition.

With these ready-to-go premixes, more options are available in the market with shorter lead time and margins, which will benefit smaller players that are looking to expand their current product offerings. They are able to roll out timely products with confidence – both in terms of quality and nutritional claims – while not spending as much time in research & development phase, which we hope would benefit their business.

Tell us what are the main goals/objectives of DSM in formulating such premixes, and what future does it foresee for such products in the Asia Pacific market in general? 

As Asia Pacific is home to 60% of the world’s population – and steadily growing – there is huge opportunities to expand product offerings that are tailored to Asian consumers’ demands and health concerns. We saw an opportunity to listen to what our customers and their consumers were looking for, and to innovate purpose-driven products that best served their needs in this climate.

As consumers look for a more holistic and preventative approach to take care of their health, they have a more mindful attitude towards nutrition. This in turn, drives more demand for effective nutritional solutions that they can incorporate into their lifestyles. Consumers are also looking at fortified foods and beverages to help them address personal concerns, and thus, reach their various health goals. These ready-to-go premixes are the perfect way to address these complex consumer demands.