Gadot Biochemical Industries said it expects high demand this winter for zinc and said it is ready to fulfill the product pipeline for the immune-support season.
The Israel-based zinc supplier said it has experienced high growth in global mineral sales at the end of Q2 2022 compared to last year.
Ohad Cohen, Gadot's chief executive officer, said considering the benefits of the mineral, the high zinc sales are no surprise.
“Zinc is a perfect match for botanical and plant-based formulations since the ingredient offers abundant health benefits and scientific claims. And we do not have supply chain issues.”
According to Youval Saly, Gadot’s vice president of sales and marketing, the company gets zinc from several producers in Israel and abroad.
“We own our manufacturing plants in Israel and we are fast to react to market demands. Furthermore, we have a robust logistics network in Israel and globally that allows us to supply on time and avoid supply chain issues,” said Saly.
Social media’s role
Saly told NutraIngredients-USA that COVID and social media combined created the perfect zinc storm.
“During the pandemic, consumers jumped on numerous social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn mainly), watched videos and read articles from doctors and health professionals on how to improve their immune systems. Probably TikTok too. And now that COVID is not the major health threat it was, consumers have a better appreciation of having a healthy immune system and are continuing to consume immune supplement products."
Saly also noted that more and more brands are combining zinc with other ingredients like botanicals, to deliver attractive formulas.
“With zinc delivering the benefits for immunity and the claims for EFSA and FDA, consumers have become more label-reading conscious,” said Saly. “Consumers now look for zinc as an essential ingredient for immunity in product formulations.”
Market
According to Mintel, products containing zinc were trending in the plant-based category, with 600% growth in the last five years and 500% growth in herbal/botanical products. Worldwide, new product launches containing zinc have grown significantly, with Europe leading at 190, followed by North America at 48.
A new report by ResearchAndMarkets.com noted that the global vitamin and minerals market is expected to grow from $20.16 billion in 2021 to $21.37 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0%. The market is expected to reach $24.69 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 3.7%.
North America was the largest region in the vitamins and minerals supplements market in 2021 and the Middle East is expected to be the largest growing region in the forecast period.
The market research company cited the growing use of dietary supplements in the modern lifestyle as a key factor driving growth, noting “Supplementation with micronutrients such as vitamins C and D, zinc and omega fatty acids within recommended upper safety limits is a safe, effective and low-cost strategy to help support optimal immune function in patients fighting COVID-19 and other respiratory tract diseases.”