Dietary supplements

Dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and other substances that are intended to supplement the diet. As the FDA states, these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For a food and beverage manufacturer, that definition sets the boundary for how a product is formulated, labelled and positioned in the market.

Supplements are made in several delivery formats, and the choice of format drives the processing line behind it. Common forms include tablets, capsules and gummies, powders, and liquids, as well as ingredients incorporated into food products. Typical ingredient categories are vitamins (multivitamins or individual vitamins such as vitamin D and biotin), minerals (calcium, magnesium and iron), botanicals or herbs (echinacea and ginger), botanical compounds (caffeine and curcumin), amino acids (tryptophan and glutamine), and live microbes, commonly referred to as probiotics.

Products in this category are usually built around defined consumer needs such as nutrient support, heart health, digestive health and bone health. Attributes that matter to the end user, including how well a powder mixes and whether the product carries a rich flavour, are formulation and process decisions that need to be settled early rather than corrected after commissioning.

Used appropriately and in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, supplements can offer benefits such as filling nutrient gaps, improved overall nutrition and well being, support for specific health conditions, convenience and accessibility, and sports performance and recovery. They are not, however, a substitute for a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, and product claims should be framed accordingly.