Commission staff working document - Characteristics and perspectives of the market for food supplements containing substances other than vitamins and minerals {COM(2008)824 final } {SEC(2008)2977}
Date: 2008-12-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: approximation of laws, consumer protection, food additive, foodstuffs legislation, inorganic chemical product, vitamin

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 5.12.2008 
SEC(2008) 2976 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

CHARACTERISTICS AND PERSPECTIVES OF THE MARKET FOR FOOD 
SUPPLEMENTS CONTAINING SUBSTANCES OTHER THAN VITAMINS AND 
MINERALS 

COM(2008)824 final 

SEC(2008)2977 

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COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

CHARACTERISTICS AND PERSPECTIVES OF THE MARKET FOR FOOD 
SUPPLEMENTS CONTAINING SUBSTANCES 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 widespread 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) 

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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 listed under the heading ‘botanicals’ as well 
as under ‘essential fatty acids’. 

2. 

MARKET DATA

1 

•  The  total  size  of  the  EU  food  supplement  market  in  2005  was  estimated  to  be 
around  five  billion  euros  (retail  selling  prices).  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 physiological effect other than vitamins and minerals 
in food supplements”, European Advisory Services (EAS), 2007. 

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share of 50%, and supplements containing other 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 between 20% in the United Kingdom to 219% 
in Poland. 

•  Growth projections for this market for the period 2005-2010 indicate a slowdown 
in  growth.  Forecasts  for  this  period  vary  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 indicate 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  market  for  some  of  the 
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  national  variations  exist.  For  example,  fish 
oils constitute over 50% of the market of other substances 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. 

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Graph 1: Relative market share of the food supplement segments in the EU 

ANNEX 

 Vitamins & Minerals
    50%

Other Substances
43%

Tonics
   7%

Source: Euromonitor 2005 

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Graph 2: Current market size and total growth of other substances in the EU 

Market size of other substances

(2005)

)
n
m
o
r
u
E
P
S
R

(

l

e
u
a
V

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

ITALY
BELGIUM
GERMANYUK
NETHERLANDS
SWEDEN
FRANCE

SPAIN
FINLAND
DENMARK
AUSTRIA

POLAND

GREECE

CZECH REP.
HUNGARY
OTHER W. EUROPE
PORTUGAL
IRELAND

Source: Euromonitor 2005 

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Graph 3: Future projected growth (2005-2010) 

Total growth of other substances 

(1997-2005)

250%

200%

150%

100%

50%

0%

ITALY
CZECH REP.
OTHER W. EUROPE
HUNGARY
BELGIUM
NETHERLANDS
POLAND
IRELAND

SPAIN
GREECE

PORTUGAL
GERMANYUK
DENMARK
AUSTRIA
FRANCE

FINLAND

SWEDEN

Source: Euromonitor 2005 

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Graph 4: Market size of other substances across 17 EU countries 

Future growth forecast of other substances  

(2005-2010)

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

HUNGARY
NETHERLANDS

ITALY
CZECH REP.
GERMANY
OTHER W.EUROPE
POLAND
FRANCE
IRELAND

BELGIUM

AUSTRIA

GREECE

SPAIN
DENMARK
PORTUGAL

FINLAND

Source: Euromonitor 2005 

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Graph 5: National preferences: Market size of other substances 

Royal Jelly 

38.5 Eur o mn

Coenzyme Q10 

23.7 Euro mn

Pr ot ein Powder 

3.5 Euro mn

Ot her s 

648.4 Eur o mn

Eye Healt h 

49.4 Eur o mn

St . John's Wor t  

59.2 Eur o mn

Glucosamine 

64.3 Euro mn

E. Pr im. Oil 

64.8 Eur o mn

Ginseng

103 Eur o mn

Gar lic 

140.2 Eur o mn

Echinacea 

140.6 Euro mn

Ginkgo

171.5 Euro mn

Fish Oils 

314.6 Eur o mn

Probiot ics

252.4 Euro mn

Source: Euromonitor 2005 

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AUSTRIA

Eye Healt h

3%

E. Prim. Oil

4%

Art ichoke

6%

Comb. For mulas

36%

Coenzyme Q10

6%

Pumpkin Seed

7%

Ginseng

9%

Fish Oils

10%

Gar lic

19%

BELGIUM

Cr anberr y

Echinacea

2%

2%

St  Johns Wor t

2%
Pr ot ein Powder

1%

Spir ulina

1%

Gar lic

2%

Lecit hin

3%

Royal Jelly

3%

Ginkgo

4%

Coenzyme Q10

6%

Glucosamine

6%

Ginseng

6%

Fish Oils

8%

Comb. For mulas

41%

Probiot ics

13%

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Probiot ics

0,3%

St . John's Wor t

0,3%

DENM ARK

Royal Jelly

2%

E. Pr im. Oil

1%

Glucosamine

3%

Gar lic

4%
Ginkgo

5%

Ot hers

7%

Echinacea

8%

Ginseng

8%

Coenzyme Q10

10%

Fish Oils

52%

FINLAND

Ot hers

1%

Eye Healt h

0,3%

Echinacea

E. Prim. Oil

4%

4%

Ginkgo

7%

St . John's Wort

7%

Gar lic

11%

Ginseng

21%

Fish Oils

45%

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FRANCE

Royal Jelly

2%

Ot her s

0.2%

Lecit hin

0,1%

Echinacea

2%
Gar lic

4%

Comb. Formulas

41%

Ginkgo

29%

GERM ANY

Ginseng

3%

Probiot ics

1%

Eye Healt h

1%

Echinacea

18%

Art ichoke

14%

Ginseng

5%

Fish Oils

5%

E. Pr im. Oil

5%

Eye Healt h

7%

E. Pr im. Oil

4%

St . John's Wor t

6%

Hawt horn

8%

Comb. For mulas

8%

Fish Oils

10%

Ginkgo

13%

Garlic

14%

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GREECE

St . John's Wort

2%

Ginkgo

Coenzyme Q10

2%

2%

Echinacea

5%

Yeast

9%

Royal Jelly

9%

Comb. Formulas

14%

Fish Oils

25%

Gar lic

16%

Lecit hin

16%

ITALY

Ginkgo

1%

Echinacea

1%

Gar lic

0,5%

Glucosamine

0,2%

Coenzyme Q10

0,1%

Ginseng

Royal Jelly

2%

3%
Fish Oils

3%

Lecit hin

4%

Eye Healt h

4%

Fibr e

6%

Pr opolis

7%

Comb. For mulas

25%

Pr obiot ics

44%

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NETHERLANDS

Glucosamine

4%

Ginkgo

4%

Ot her s

5%

Gar lic

27%

Fish Oils

5%

Coenzyme Q10

7%

Ginseng

9%

St . John's Wor t

17%

Echinacea

22%

Eye Healt h

1%

Fish Oils

22%

POLAND

Royal Jelly

2%

Coenzyme Q10

1%

Lecit hin

2%

Hor set ail

2%

Pr obiot ics

3%

Linseed

3%

Comb. Formulas

3%

St . John's Wort

4%

E. Pr im. Oil

4%

Echinacea

5%

Ginkgo

5%

Gar lic

19%

Yeast

6%

Glucosamine

6%

Ginseng

8%

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SPAIN

Ginkgo

1%

Echinacea

1%
Combinat ion For mulas

0,2%

Royal Jelly

32%

Fish Oils

2%

Gar lic

3%

St . John's Wor t

4%

Art ichoke

7%

Guarana

8%

Lecit hin

11%

Ginseng

13%

E. Pr im. Oil

18%

Coenzyme Q10

1%

Probiot ics

1%

Echinacea

1%
Ginkgo

3%

UK

St arf lower  Oil

1%

Eye Healt h

1%

Art ichoke

1%

Royal Jelly

0,4%

Prot ein Powder

0,4%

St . John's Wor t

3%

Ginseng

4%

E. Pr im. Oil

5%

Garlic

5%

Glucosamine

13%

Fish Oils

40%

Combinat ion Formulas

21%

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