L-Carnitine Survey Shows Consumer Recognition in Germany

L-carnitine appears to be well recognized by consumers, according to a recent survey in Germany. L-carnitine is often promoted as an ingredient for exercise, weight management, and cardiovascular health benefits and can be found in dietary supplements and beverages, bars, and other functional food.

Up to 43% of survey respondents said they are familiar with L-carnitine as an ingredient. Further breaking it down, 39% were able to correctly associate L-carnitine with weight management benefits, 27% with exercise benefits, and 20% with energy benefits. For those who actually take L-carnitine supplements, 59% said they take it for weight management, 33% for exercise, and 10% for cardiovascular health. More women than men were familiar with L-carnitine, and up to 50% of younger consumers (aged 20–39 years old) recognized the ingredient.

Lonza (Basel, Switzerland), maker of Carnipure brand L-carnitine, commissioned the study conducted by German consumer research firm GfK in December 2012. The survey questioned more than 1000 German consumers who reported to be, at the minimum, occasional consumers of dietary supplements and functional foods.

Lonza points out that consumers’ intrinsic recognition of an ingredient and its benefits is ever more important, especially as use of health claims in the EU are somewhat limited for certain ingredients now due to the EU’s nutrition and health claims regulation, which has banned the use of many ingredient health claims.