COVID-19: Consumers looking for products to support body health. Supplements, Probiotics- effectiveness of the products seems to be key.

The results of the survey presented in the article "Immunity and Prevention Top Purchase Drivers for Supplement Users During COVID-19 Pandemic: MarketPlace Exclusive Survey" clearly shows the shift in consumer demands.

As the article mentions e.g. during the pandemic consumers are more looking into supplements to support immunity and strengthen the self-defense mechanisms of their body for disease prevention and digestive health.

Besides this, the article mentions the declining preference as well for pills, which creates a need for equally effective alternative formats.

"Innovative formulations that address pill fatigue and increase the bioavailability of immunity-boosting ingredients, especially tea and yogurt applications, are growth opportunities for functional food and beverage brands and ingredient suppliers," said Jon Copeland, MarketPlace's Research Strategist. "The data reveal seismic shifts in the wellness consumer's lifestyle and outlook on personal health. We believe long-term demand will remain strong for preventive health and immunity support."

I think we already know that health-supporting, preventative food supplements are a growing market and that they will become increasingly common with all of the newly added ingredients to "traditional" food products, especially with the customer demand for "equally effective, alternative formats".

With this the need for testing, inspection, and certification for consumers, producers, and retailers that "use" supplements will also increase. The products need to meet the required quality and safety expectations, that should not influence the product in an unwanted way (e.g. sensory), but also make sure the effectiveness has been proven and is clearly visible to the customer and in line with local regulatory requirements.

Thanks for the valuable data presented and the given background information.