2024 Expert Outlook on Contract Manufacturing Part 3: Trends

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Contract manufacturers share their outlook on what 2024 will look like for contract manufacturing. Inflation, regulatory, and supply chain issues persist, but the market continues to evolve, creating challenges as well as opportunities for manufacturers to invest in research and development to adapt to the changing marketplace.

Nutritional Outlook: What are some of the biggest trends in delivery systems and formulations you expect to see in 2024?

Mark A. LeDoux
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Natural Alternatives International, Inc.

The biggest trends that we have seen are for simplicity, portability, and convenience, with an emphasis on achieving anticipated benefits in a timely manner and at reasonable economic cost. There is also a desire by more consumers and some brands to actively address packaging materials with a tacit concern around harmful environmental waste stream and sustainability of difficult to cultivate or source whole food products. I think transparency in testing will also achieve greater prominence, as will the consumer's desire to understand more fully the origin of compounds and products - given another unspoken concern regarding contaminants, or unfair labor practices.

Karla Acevedo
Marketing Manager
Sirio Pharma and Best Formulations

Key trends in delivery systems involve innovative solutions designed to enhance the appeal of current delivery forms to consumers, ensuring effective product delivery. At Sirio, we've developed center-filled, aerated, swirl, and bi-layer gummy solutions to help our customers stand out and differentiate themselves in a crowded environment. Regarding formulation trends, we anticipate a rise in products addressing women's health needs, sports nutrition, gut health, as well as solutions involving mushrooms. We also observe an increasing crossover between topical and ingestible health and wellness products, with supplement brands introducing complementary personal care products, and vice versa.

Sara Lesina
General Manager
Sirio Pharma

Anticipated trends in 2024 include a sustained emphasis on gummies, recognized for delivering both functionality and an enjoyable consumer experience, establishing them as a preferred delivery system. Alongside this, the demand for unique formulations that combine natural actives with scientifically backed ingredients is expected to rise. Innovations in delivery systems, particularly those addressing challenges like enhancing bioavailability and integrating probiotics into gummies, are poised to lead the way. Additionally, women's health supplements are gaining ground, with increasing use of personalized combinations. A final trend connects beauty with mental well-being through calming herbal extracts: so one expected massive growth area is for mushroom extracts like Lion’s Mane and Reishi, which are rapidly gaining popularity as an aid to cognitive well-being.