NEW YORK—Consumers know how good omega-3s are for physical and mental health, and they want products that contain them. Omega-3 product growth is fueled by awareness, health benefit substantiation, receptiveness to functional foods and supplements, positive media reporting and increased market participation by major marketers, according to a new report from Packaged Facts, "Omega-3: Global Product Trends and Opportunities."
Intriguing new sources of omega-3s—ranging from krill and calamari to cranberry and chia seed and hemp—are also making it easier for manufacturers to market high-omega products. This has led to a dramatic expansion of the range of retail products available, including options for vegetarian consumers.
All this has lead to 9 percent of grocery shoppers in the United States buying high-omega-3 food or beverage products in a typical grocery shopping trip, and the percentage of adults who take fish oil supplements jumping from 8 percent in 2006 to 17 percent in 2011.
Packaged Facts estimated global consumer spending on omega-3 food and beverage products (excluding fish), health and beauty care products (including supplements) and pet products will reach $13 billion in 2011. Consumer demand for omega-3 products will continue growing briskly over the 2011 to 2015 forecast period, and will influence the activities of marketers worldwide across various categories of consumer packaged goods, including the private label arena.
However, hurdles do remain for the omega-3 products market. The medical and regulatory communities have not yet fully arrived at a consensus on the optimal intake of omega-3 fatty acids, or the relative benefits of increased consumption of marine- versus plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, although scientific research has generally focused on the health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) omega-3 from marine sources such as salmon or algae. Correspondingly, there is confusion among consumers who associate "omega-3" with fish and fish oil rather than flax or other plant-based sources that are used in omega-3 fortification of foods. Nonetheless, favorable European regulatory changes for omega-3 health claims are expected in 2011, and should ultimately further boost the omega-3 product marketing environment globally.
