Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Report scope
- Excluded
- Subgroup definition
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- Figure 1: Definition of low/mid/high MHI groups, by monthly household income and city tier
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Preference for holistic natural approaches challenge OTC remedies and supplements while presents opportunity for functional food and drink
- Opportunity for upgraded products and services featuring more detailed benefits
- Impact of COVID-19 on gut health management
- COVID-19 is expected to fuel market growth in both short and long term
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- Figure 2: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on gut health management Market, August 2020
- Companies and brands
- The consumer
- Gut health management is more driven by sub-health issues instead of specific diseases
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- Figure 3: Gut health issues, April 2020
- Consumers view gut health as best tackled holistically and prioritising probiotic products
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- Figure 4: Methods to improve gut health, April 2020
- Probiotic product consideration factors are getting sophisticated
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- Figure 5: Probiotics purchase consideration factors, April 2020
- Seeking to diversify gut health benefits with rising mental health association
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- Figure 6: Perceived benefits of gut health, April 2020
- Prebiotics and postbiotics are niche – better recognised amongst sophisticated consumers
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- Figure 7: Knowledge about gut microbiota, April 2020
- Wide interest in more food and drinks with added probiotics and fibre
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- Figure 8: Product format preferences, April 2020
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Prioritising “syn/prebiotics” to improve gut health product efficacy
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 9: Icome probiotics powder, Taiwan, 2020
- Figure 10: Examples of prebiotic-formulated products tapping into specific health needs, Global, 2020
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- Figure 11: Emma & Tom’s probiotic + prebiotic straight orange juice, Australia, 2020
- Make gut health more important by highlighting gut-brain axis
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 12: Examples of brands communicating the gut/brain axis in marketing activities, Global
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- Figure 13: Examples of food and drink products featuring digestive and mental health benefits, Global, 2018-19
- Figure 14: Examples of personalised supplements featuring gut-brain health as part of the service, Global
- Tap into the postbiotics trend for new ways to provide gut health benefits
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 15: Examples of products highlighting postbiotics’ benefits, Global, 2019
- Figure 16: Examples of different category applications of postbiotics ingredients, Global, 2018-19
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- Figure 17: House Wellness Food’s powder stick and jelly drink featuring L-137, Japan, 2019-20
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Preference for holistic natural approaches challenge OTC remedies and supplements while presenting opportunity for functional food and drink
- Everyday food and drink categories can target young people with gut health benefits
- Opportunities lie beyond exploring new formula interest
Market Overview
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- Young generation offer an untapped opportunity for gut health market
- Desire for a holistic and natural approach for gut health management
- Deepening of science research to expand gut health products’ claims
- More detailed benefits of probiotics are in demand, and postbiotic concept is emerging
- The impact of COVID-19 on gut health management
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- Figure 18: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on gut health management market, August 2020
Market Segmentation
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- The big picture
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- Figure 19: Share of food*, drink and supplement launches with functional claims related to gut health**, China, July 2015-June 2020
- Category spotlight: food and drink
- Trends in product claims
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- Figure 20: Share of food* and drink launches with functional claims** related to gut health, China, July 2017-June 2020
- Probiotic claims
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- Figure 21: Share of food* and drink launches with a probiotic claim, by top five categories, China, July 2017-June 2020
- Figure 22: Top five categories for food* and drink launches with a probiotic claim, by moving annual total, China, July 2017-June 2020
- Dairy continues to innovate
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- Figure 23: Examples of yoghurt highlighting detailed features of probiotics, China, 2020
- Boost Juice drink’s functional profile with added probiotics
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- Figure 24: Examples of juice drinks featuring a probiotic claim, China, 2019
- Prebiotics claims
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- Figure 25: Share of food* and drink launches with a prebiotic claim, by top five categories, China, July 2017-June 2020
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- Figure 26: Top five categories for food* and drink launches with a prebiotic claim, by moving annual total, China, July 2017-June 2020
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- Figure 27: Examples of sugar confectionary combining probiotics and prebiotics, China, 2018
- High/added fibre claims
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- Figure 28: Share of food* and drink launches with a high/added fibre claim, by top five categories, China, July 2017-June 2020
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- Figure 29: Top five categories for food* and drink launches with a high/added fibre claim, by moving annual total, China, July 2017-June 2020
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- Figure 30: Examples of dairy and dairy alternatives featuring a high/added fibre claim, China, 2019-20
- “High-fibre” could be used for sugar reduction in snacks
- Other opportunity: high-fibre digestive claim warrants attention in weight management
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- Figure 31: Examples of meal replacement products featuring high/added fibre and general digestive health claims, China, 2019
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- Figure 32: Ideal Fuel’s bulletproof tea, China, 2020
- Category spotlight: healthcare
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- Figure 33: Share of healthcare launches with functional claims* relate to gut health, China, July 2015-June 2020
- Gut health supplements are big business
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- Figure 34: Product segmentation – Vitamins and dietary supplements with functional claims* related to gut health, China, July 2015-June 2020
- Ingredient spotlight
- Probiotics, fibre and prebiotics explore opportunities beyond gut health
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- Figure 35: Food*, drink and supplement launches with a ‘probiotic’ claim, by top five functional claims, China, July 2015-June 2020
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- Figure 36: Food*, drink and supplement launches with a ‘high/added fibre’ or prebiotic’ claim, by top five functional claims, China, July 2015-June 2020
- Postbiotics could thrive in categories like ambient food and drink
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- Figure 37: Top 10 food*, drink and supplement launches featuring postbiotics** as ingredients, APAC, July 2015-June 2020
- Service spotlight
- The gut health diagnostics market gets specialised
- Benefits from fitness and mental wellbeing could drive the gut health market
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Big Chinese dairy brands eyeing awareness expansion
- Chinese yoghurt brands promote gut health benefits in different ways
- Diagnostic companies get specialised
- Global trend: tapping into multiple benefits of gut health ingredients
- Global trend: gut/brain axis will become the next normal
Competitive Strategies
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- Figure 38: Leading companies’ share of new product launch with functional claims relate to gut health, China, June 2015-May 2020
- Mengniu: invest in education to the public
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- Figure 39: Mengniu’s gut health white paper and educational animation and posters, China, 2020
- Yili: experimenting functional product expansion with social network launch
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- Figure 40: Foodcode’s Yi Xiao Jun and Yi Xiao Sheng probiotic products, China, 2019
- Quaker: age-old brand reaching a broader usage occasion
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- Figure 41: Quaker’s oats rye high fibre multigrain, China, 2020
- Junlebao is active in innovating natural flavour
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- Figure 42: Junlebao Purjoy’s probiotic yoghurt, China, 2020
- Newhope: overcome technical challenges that limit probiotic effectiveness
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- Figure 43: Newhope’s Huaxi Huo Run yoghurt, China, 2020
- Small food and drink brands are communicating on detailed bacterium features
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- Figure 44: Examples of yoghurt highlighting a specific bacteria type and its health benefits, China, 2019-20
- Supplement brands head to gut/brain connection innovation
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- Figure 45: Umeta Yi Xiu GABA + Probiotics Pressed Candy and Bened Biomedical Psychobiotic PS128, China
- Diagnostic companies get specialised
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- Figure 46: At-home gut microbiome testing services by We Health Gene and BGI Nutrition, China
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Global Trends/Innovations
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- Expanding into more food and drink categories
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- Figure 47: Examples of food and drink category expansion in using probiotics, probiotics and fibre ingredients, Global, 2018-19
- Tapping multiple benefits of functional fibre
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- Figure 48: Examples of products embracing multiple angles of functional fibre benefit, Global, 2019
- Fortifying probiotics, prebiotics and botanicals in fermented drinks to increase product relevance
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- Figure 49: Examples of fermented drinks promoting gut health benefits, Global, 2018-19
- Postbiotics shows an overriding trend
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- Figure 50: Examples of products using postbiotics, Overseas, 2018
- Ease of use format for more convenient usage
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- Figure 51: Share of food, drink and healthcare launches with functional claims relate to gut health, by ‘ease of use’ as a convenience claim, Global vs China, July 2015-June 2020
- Figure 52: Examples of innovative yoghurt and probiotic supplement formats, Global, 2018-19
- Looking beyond digestion to cover various health benefits
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- Figure 53: Examples of products offering gut and other functional health benefits, Global, 2018-19
- Adding simple educational message to mental wellness
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- Figure 54: Examples of food, drink and supplement brands using simple communication to highlight the importance of mental wellness and gut health, Overseas, 2018-19
- Personalisation becomes more accurate by combining technology and human expertise
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- Figure 55: DayTwo’s gut microbiome testing service, Israel
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Minor gut ailments coupled with lifestyle changes
- Seeking to diversify gut health benefits with rising mental health association
- Probiotic product consideration factors are getting sophisticated
- Emerging ingredients (eg prebiotics, postbiotics) are in demand
- Wide interest in product formats with added probiotics or fibre
Gut health issues
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- Gut health management is more driven by ailments instead of specific diseases
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- Figure 56: Gut health issues, April 2020
- Setting up relevant ‘scenarios’ for a defined audience
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- Figure 57: Gut health issues, by age, April 2020
- Parents with kids are susceptible to digestive health symptoms
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- Figure 58: Gut health issues (flatulence, poor skin conditions, abdominal cramps), by family structure, April 2020
- Poor appetite is ticked more by lower-tier city consumers
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- Figure 59: Gut health issues (poor appetite), by city tiers, April 2020
- Consumers in Northern region are burdened by heartburn
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- Figure 60: Gut health issues (heartburn), by region, April 2020
- Turn gut troubles to product bundles
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- Figure 61: Gut health issues (poor appetite, abdominal cramps), by consumers who claim to have nausea in past 12 months, April 2020
Methods to improve gut health
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- Consumers view gut health as best tackled holistically
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- Figure 62: Methods to improve gut health, April 2020
- Female consumers are key audiences for gut health management
- Young females are more aware of mental health
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- Figure 63: Methods to improve gut health (food with high fibre, exercise, positive mindset), by gender and age, April 2020
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- Figure 64: Xplor Sugar-Free Holy Basil Carom Seeds Cookies by Happymate Foods, India, 2019
- Middle-aged and senior females go for supplements
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- Figure 65: Methods to improve gut health (probiotic and prebiotic supplements), by gender and age, April 2020
- Usage of prebiotic supplements is higher in lower tier cities
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- Figure 66: Methods to improve gut health (probiotic and prebiotic supplements), by consumers who think probiotic and prebiotic supplements can improve gut health, April 2020
Probiotics purchase consideration factors
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- Containing live culture is the major consideration factor
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- Figure 67: Probiotics purchase consideration factors, April 2020
- Probiotic supplements are less taste and price-driven as compared to yoghurt and lactobacillus drinks
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- Figure 68: Probiotics purchase consideration factors, April 2020
- Potential for adding additional nutrients to lactobacillus drinks
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- Figure 69: Probiotics purchase consideration factors (lactobacillus drinks – with additional nutrients), by gender and age and family structure, April 2020
- Figure 70: AGV’s Okina probiotic water, Taiwan, 2020
Perceived benefits of gut health
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- Immunity playing central role in gut health association
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- Figure 71: Perceived benefits of gut health, April 2020
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- Figure 72: Perceived benefits of gut health, by age, April 2020
- Gut health associations are related to education and income levels
Knowledge of gut microbiota
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- Improving nutrient absorption and metabolism playing active roles in gut microbiota association
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- Figure 73: Knowledge of gut microbiota, April 2020
- Spotlight on synbiotics/postbiotics
- Prebiotics are yet to build awareness via highlighting it in supplements and fermented food and drinks
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- Figure 74: Select knowledge of gut microbiota, by family structure and education, April 2020
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- Figure 75: Knowledge of gut microbiota (I know the difference between probiotics and prebiotics), by methods to improve gut health, April 2020
- Although scarce, awareness of postbiotics’ benefits is emerging
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- Figure 76: Perceived benefits of gut health, by knowledge of gut microbiota (I have heard about postbiotics*), April 2020
- Consumers expect Chinese medicine to be multifaceted
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- Figure 77: Knowledge of gut microbiota, by methods to improve gut health (Chinese medicinal food*), April 2020
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- Figure 78: Vida Glow beauty mind food supplement, UK, 2019
- Leverage diversified gut microbiota in conversation with supplements users
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- Figure 79: Knowledge of gut microbiota (A healthy gut needs diversified types of bacteria), by methods to improve gut health (probiotic supplements), April 2020
Product Format Preferences
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- Wide interest in more food and drinks with added fibre or probiotics
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- Figure 80: Product format preferences, April 2020
- Spotlight on product ideas with added probiotics
- Looking for probiotic chocolate to improve brain function
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- Figure 81: Product format preferences (add probiotics in chocolate), by perceived benefits of gut health (improving brain function), April 2020
- Spotlight on product ideas with added fibre
- Adding fruit and vegetables as natural touch to innovative high-fibre biscuits
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- Figure 82: Product format preferences (add fibre in biscuits), by selected perceived benefits of gut health, April 2020
Meet the Mintropolitans
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- Mental health plays an active role in Mintropolitans’ gut health association
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- Figure 83: Number of health benefits associated with gut health, by consumer classification, April 2020
- Figure 84: Benefits of gut health (reducing anxiety, improving brain function), by consumer classification, April 2020
- Mintropolitans are more knowledgeable about functional ingredients
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- Figure 85: Knowledge of gut microbiota, by consumer classification, April 2020
- Mintropolitans are interested in imported strains
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- Figure 86: Probiotics purchase consideration factors (using imported strains), by consumer classification, April 2020
Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
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- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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