Product superiority of mineral fortification and supplements needs to be supported by technical and market expertise, and heavy investment in R and D and marketing for wider product ranges is needed
With the European mineral supplements and fortification market currently in a state of flux, even manufacturers of premium products cannot be confident about the success of their products.
To stay competitive it is imperative for companies to have the technical and marketing expertise to take minerals from the product concept to the final delivery stage.
"A general increase in consumer awareness in Europe has been stimulated by the favourable coverage of micro minerals in health magazines, dieting books and other promotional campaigns, creating abundant market opportunities for mineral manufacturers," says Kathy Brownlie, research manager with Frost and Sullivan.
"The increasing awareness towards preventative healthcare is driving not only the sales for over-the-counter mineral products in Europe, but for fortified food products as well".
Market participants have to implement damage control strategies to remedy negative publicity as a result of controversial scientific evidence.
These reports question the effectiveness of minerals in feed and supplement products as well as their cost efficiency.
Manufacturers can alleviate some of these concerns and improve product uptake by disseminating the results of their R and D activities through extensive marketing campaigns.
Companies also use minerals as antioxidants in cosmetics or as an active ingredient in sun-protection, anti-aging, shaving or makeup products.
Such uses are likely to strongly drive the growth of minerals in novel markets.
Manufacturers also need to develop inventive technologies if they are to resolve the issues of metallic taste and discolouration sometimes associated with mineral-fortified foods.
However, it is not easy to ensure that an enriched mineral product meets its specific label claims.
This requires considerable knowledge of the stability of individual components, different interactions in the recipe as well as optimum processing and storage conditions.
"Among the organic salts with high bioavailability and more neutral taste profiles, tricalcium citrate (21 per cent calcium) stands out as the most economic option for calcium beverage fortification," notes Brownlie.
"Organic products have higher bioavailability and are a lot higher in price compared to the elemental forms".
