Across the Nutraverse: Beckham’s new brand, Chinese botanical suppliers seek US tariff bypasses, and more

The Nutraverse brings you the week's top headlines from across the global dietary supplement, nutraceutical, and functional foods industry.
Catch up with our weekly round-up of key news from across the Nutraverse. (Getty Images)

A lot has happened in the global nutrition industry over the past seven days, with headlines including David Beckham co-launching a supplement brand, younger consumers driving collagen, and plans among China botanical suppliers to bypass potential US tariff hikes. Catch up with our weekly round-up of key news from across the Nutraverse.

USA: David Beckham co-launches supplement brand

Soccer legend David Beckham has partnered with health sciences company Prenetics to launch health and wellness brand IM8.

IM8’s products are reportedly formulated with the guidance of scientists from the Mayo Clinic, NASA, Yale University, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the University of Florida and the University of Connecticut.

“We wanted to create something that helps people to feel their best every day—and with IM8, we’ve done that,” stated Beckham in a press release. “We’ve brought together a world-leading team of scientists to create something unique and effective, and I’m excited to be able to share it with the world.”

IM8 unveiled two premium products last week, including Daily Ultimate Longevity to support healthy aging and cellular renewal for long-term vitality, and Daily Ultimate Essentials, an all-in-one powder engineered to replace 16 separate daily supplements.

To read the full story, click HERE.

Europe: Under 25s demand for collagen

Mintel’s data shows that beauty supplement usage is skewed towards younger consumers, which the firm said is most likely driven by the heightened pressures of wanting to look good in the age of social media, leading them to seek comprehensive inside-out beauty solutions.

According to Mintel consumer data, 34% of beauty supplement users look for collagen in beauty supplements, making it one of the most sought-after ingredients.

Mintel’s data also showed that 22% of adults who research ingredients that are used in the beauty/grooming products they buy associated collagen with giving long-lasting results, higher than other ingredients included in the research.

“This association likely translates into consumer interest in collagen ingredients in beauty supplements,” said beauty and personal care research analyst Shiyan Zering.

Click HERE to read the full article.

China: Botanical extract suppliers look to mitigate economic impact of potential US tariffs

According to a report in NutraIngredients-Asia, there are plans among China botanical extracts suppliers to build operations in Southeast Asia in a bid to bypass potential tariffs hikes under the new Trump administration.

Yinjun Hou, vice chairman of Shaanxi Plant Extract Association, said that some of their member companies have been adopting a wait-and-see approach since last year.

The election of Donald Trump as the new US president on November 5, however, is likely to send these plans into action.

Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia are the hotspots that some of China botanical extract suppliers are interested in, given their lower operating costs.