Calls for education on probiotic benefits in Mexico
NutraIngredients-LATAM spoke with Emer Mackle, Market Analyst, Lumina Intelligence, about why these trends are so popular and what is influencing uptake.
‘How does this product help me?’ and ‘Who is it for?’ are key questions today’s Mexican probiotics consumers are asking.
1. Health leads consumer choice
The health benefits that food and beverage products address are “critical” for the consumer choice in probiotics as they can support lifestyle changes. Probiotics may be used for weight management, for example. They can also be sought after by consumers opting for a more specific health issue, such as the use of a probiotic for IBS.
Flavour, the choice of strains or the efficacy of the food or beverage item are other leading factors impacting preferences and decision making. In Mexico, there is a strong demand for education on how delivery systems are an indication of their efficacy. These delivery systems help to “ensure the survival of the strain from manufacturing to arrive at the intestines alive”, which may be a key deciding factor, Mackle explains.
2. Probiotics for children
In Mexico, the three most reviewed brands of probiotic supplements in Mexico are L’il Critters, Biogaia and Upstring.
All top three brands had products that target children. “Product targeting children could continue to see more online engagement as the market develops,” Mackle added.
3. Top superfood gaining attention
In Mexico, there is one key superfood that is popping up in popularity, influencing food launches and marketers campaigns in the Latin American superfood hub.
Discussing the properties that make cranberries so appealing to the Mexican marketplace, Emer Mackle, Market Analyst, Lumina Intelligence reveals that it is an ingredient rich in proanthocyanin, and is “used by several countries as a method to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs)”.
Highlighting how products targeting UTIs are more likely to be directed towards women, as they are more likely to suffer from UTIs, Mackle reveals that cranberry is popularly added to probiotics targeting women’s health.
“There have even been a few studies that saw positive outcomes in both UTI prevention and reduction by cranberry and probiotics,” Mackle reveals.
From a dietary supplement perspective, in 2019, cranberries have stood out as a superfood to watch, displaying the quickest growth in volume and current value sales, market intelligence provider, Euromonitor International states.
4. Natural and organic options
The rise of natural and organic ingredients is evolving in Mexico. As of July 2019, on average, a product with one or more clean label claims achieved higher reviews than those without a clean label claim, “which shows promise”, Mackle said.
The movement towards clean label claims and products that contain natural and organic ingredients will “likely continue to grow in popularity”, Mackle highlighted.
