EN    EN EN 
 
EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 5.12.2008 
SEC(2008) 2976 
  
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
CHARACTERISTICS AND PERSPECTIV ES OF THE MARKET FOR FOOD 
SUPPLEMENTS CONTAINING SUBST ANCES OTHER THAN VITAMINS AND 
MINERALS 
COM(2008)824 final 
 
SEC(2008)2977 
 
EN 2   EN COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
CHARACTERISTICS AND PERSPECTIV ES OF THE MARKET FOR FOOD 
SUPPLEMENTS CONTAINING SUBST ANCES OTHER THAN VITAMINS AND 
MINERALS 
1. CATEGORISATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF THE SUBSTANCES USED  
The number of substances other than vitamins and minerals used in food 
supplements on the European market is estimated to be over 400. 
For the sake of clarity and simplification, the most widesp read substances have been 
grouped into six main categories that reflect the current market situation and that are 
regulated in a number of Member States. 
Amino-acids 
• L-Arginine 
• Other essential amino acids 
• Non-essential amino acids 
Enzymes 
• Lactase 
• Papain 
Prebiotics and probiotics 
• Inulin 
• Lactobacillus acidophilus 
• Bifidobacterium species 
• Yeast species 
Essential fatty acids 
• Gamma-linoleic acid 
• Fish oils (DHA/EPA) 
• Borage oil (Borago officinalis) 
• Flaxseed oil (Linum usitatissimum) 
 
EN 3   EN Botanicals and botanical extracts 
• Aloe (Aloe vera) 
• Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) 
• Ginseng (Panax ginseng) 
• Garlic (Allium sativum) 
• Green tea extract (Camellia sinensis) 
• Garcinia extract (Garcinia Cambogia) 
• Guarana extract (Paullinia cupana) 
Other substances 
• Lycopene 
• Lutein 
• Coenzyme Q10 
• Taurine 
• Carnitine 
• Inositol 
• Glucosamine 
• Chitosan 
• Spirulina 
• Soy isoflavone 
It should be noted that there could be overlapping between these categories. For 
example, certain plant oil extracts can be li sted under the heading ‘botanicals’ as well 
as under ‘essential fatty acids’. 
2. MARKET DATA1 
• The total size of the EU food supplement  market in 2005 was estimated to be 
around five billion euros (retail selling pr ices). This figure is divided between 
food supplement products containing vitamins  and minerals that have a market 
                                                 
1 Source: “The use of substances with nutritional or phy siological effect other than vitamins and minerals 
in food supplements”, European Advisory Services (EAS), 2007. 
 
EN 4   EN share of 50%, and supplements containing ot her substances with a market share of 
43% equivalent to 2.15 billion euros. 75% of  the latter value constitutes sales of 
these products in Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom. 
• Between 1997 and 2005, the growth of the market for food supplements 
containing other substances ranged betw een 20% in the United Kingdom to 219% 
in Poland. 
• Growth projections for this market fo r the period 2005-2010 indicate a slowdown 
in growth. Forecasts for this period va ry between the Member States and range 
from 4% to 45%, with an average of 20% to 25%. 
Further information can be found in the Annex. 
3. OVERVIEW OF THE MARKET  
Available data from 17 Member States indi cate that the most commercially important 
substances are the following: 
– Fish oils 
– Probiotics 
– Certain herbal ingredients 
These three categories account for over 50% of the market. 
It is important to note that a significant proportion of the mark e t  f o r  s o m e  o f  t h e  
herbal products (notably Echinacea and Gingko)  is made up of products registered as 
medicinal products in certain Member States. 
Another issue to note is that significant natio nal variations exist. For example, fish 
oils constitute over 50% of the market of other subs tances in Denmark, but under 3% 
in Spain and in Italy. 
Probiotics account for 44% of the market  in Italy and only 0.3% in Denmark. 
Herbal products (ginkgo, ginseng, St John’s Wort, echinacea and garlic) make up 
75% of the market in the Netherlands, 40% in France, and under 5% in Italy. 
Further information can be found in the Annex. 
 
EN 5   EN  
ANNEX  
Graph 1: Relative market share of th e food supplement segments in the EU 
Tonics
   7% Vitamins & Minerals
    50%Other Substances
43%
 
Source: Euromonitor 2005 
 
EN 6   EN Graph 2: Current market size and total gr owth of other substances in the EU 
0100200300400500600
ITALY
GERMANYUK
FRANCE
BELGIUM
SWEDEN
NETHERLANDS
SPAIN
DENMARKFINLANDAUSTRIA
IRELAND
POLAND
GREECE
OTHER W. EUROPEPORTUGAL
CZECH REP.
HUNGARYValue (RSP Euro mn)Market size of other substances
(2005)
Source: Euromonitor 2005 
 
EN 7   EN Graph 3: Future projected growth (2005-2010) 
 
0%50%100%150%200%250%
POLAND
NETHERLANDS
CZECH REP.
IRELANDBELGIUM
HUNGARYITALY
OTHER W. EUROPESPAIN
GREECEFRANCE
AUSTRIA
DENMARK
PORTUGAL
GERMANYUK
FINLAND
SWEDENTotal growth of other substances 
(1997-2005)
 
Source: Euromonitor 2005 
 
EN 8   EN Graph 4: Market size of other substances across 17 EU countries 
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%
HUNGARY
NETHERLANDS
ITALY
FRANCE
CZECH REP.
IRELAND
OTHER W.EUROPEGERMANY
POLAND
BELGIUM
AUSTRIA GREECESPAIN
PORTUGAL
DENMARK
FINLANDFuture growth forecast of other substances  
(2005-2010)
 
Source: Euromonitor 2005 
 
EN 9   EN Graph 5: National preferences: Market size of other substances 
Prot ein Powder 
3.5 Euro mnCoenzyme Q10 
23.7 Euro mnRoyal Jelly 
38.5 Euro mnEy e Heal t h 
49.4 Euro mn
St. John's Wort 
59.2 Euro mn
Glucosamine 
64.3 Euro mn
E. P r i m. Oi l  
64.8 Euro mn
Ginseng
10 3  Eu r o  m n
Gar lic 
14 0 . 2  Eu r o  m n
Echinacea 
14 0 . 6  Eu r o  m n
Ginkgo
171.5  Eu r o  m n
Probiotics
252.4 Euro mnFish Oils 
314.6 Euro mnOt her s 
648.4 Euro mn
 
Source: Euromonitor 2005 
 
EN 10   EN 
AUSTRIA
Garlic
19 %Fish Oils
10 %Ginseng
9%Pumpkin Seed
7%Coenzyme Q10
6%Art ichoke
6%Eye Health
3%
E. P r i m. Oi l
4%
Comb. Formulas
36%
 
BELGIUM
Probiot ics
13 %Fis h Oils
8%Ginseng
6%Glucosamine
6%Coenzyme Q10
6%Royal Jelly
3%Lecithin
3%Garlic
2%Cranberry
2%Echinacea
2%St  Johns Wort
2%
Spirulina
1%Protein Powder
1%
Ginkgo
4%
Comb. Formulas
41%
 
 
EN 11   EN 
DENM ARK
Coenzyme Q1 0
10%Ginseng
8%Echinacea
8%Ot hers
7%St . John's Wort
0,3%Probiot ics
0,3%E. Pr i m. Oi l
1%Royal Jelly
2%
Glucosamine
3%
Garlic
4%
Ginkgo
5%
Fish Oils
52%
FINLAND
Ginseng
21%Garlic
11%St. John's Wort
7%Eye Health
0,3%Ot hers
1%
Echinacea
4%E. P r i m. Oi l
4%
Ginkgo
7%
Fish Oils
45%
 
 
EN 12   EN 
FRANCE
Ginkgo
29%Eye Health
7%E. Pr i m. Oi l
5%Fish Oils
5%Ginseng
5%Garlic
4%Echinacea
2%Royal Jelly
2%Others
0.2%
Lecit hin
0,1 %
Comb. Formulas
41 %
 
GERM ANY
Echinacea
18 %
Garlic
14%
Ginkgo
13 %Hawt horn
8%Eye Health
1%Probiot ics
1%Ginseng
3%
E. Pr i m. Oi l
4%
St . John's Wort
6% Art ichoke
14 %
Comb. Formulas
8%
Fis h Oils
10%
 
 
EN 13   EN 
GREECE
Lecit hin
16%Comb. Formulas
14 %Royal Jelly
9%St. John's Wort
2%Ginkgo
2% Coenzyme Q10
2%
Echinacea
5%
Yeast
9%Fis h Oils
25%
Garlic
16 %
 
ITALY
Comb. Formulas
25%Propolis
7%Fibr e
6%Eye Health
4%Glucosamine
0,2%Garlic
0,5%Echinacea
1% Ginkgo
1% Ginseng
2%Royal Jelly
3% Coenzyme Q10
0,1% Fis h Oils
3%
Lecit hin
4%
Probiotics
44%
 
 
EN 14   EN 
NETHERLANDS
Garlic
27%
Echinacea
22%St . John's Wort
17%Ginseng
9%Coenzyme Q10
7%Fish Oils
5%Others
5%Glucosamine
4%Ginkgo
4%
 
POLAND
Fish Oils
22%
Ginseng
8%Glucosamine
6%Yeast
6%Ginkgo
5%Echinacea
5%Royal Jelly
2% Coenzyme Q10
1%
Eye Healt h
1%Lecithin
2%
Horset ail
2%
Probiotics
3%
Linseed
3%
Comb. Formulas
3%
St. John's Wort
4%
E. Pr i m. Oi l
4%
Garlic
19 %
 
 
EN 15   EN 
SPAIN
E. Pr i m. Oi l
18% Ginseng
13 %Lecit hin
11%Guarana
8%Art ichoke
7%Garlic
3%Fish Oils
2%Ginkgo
1% Echinacea
1%
Combinat ion Formulas
0,2%
St . John's Wort
4%Royal Jelly
32%
 
UK
Combination Formulas
21 %Glucosamine
13%Eye Health
1%St arf lower Oil
1%Coenzyme Q10
1%
Probiot ics
1%
Echinacea
1%Ginkgo
3%Prot ein Powder
0,4%Royal Jelly
0,4%Art ichoke
1%
E. Pr i m. Oi l
5%
Garlic
5%Ginseng
4%St . John's Wort
3%
Fis h Oils
40%