NELLSON SHARES IMMUNE SUPPORT INGREDIENT TRENDS
AND FORMULATION INSIGHTS FOR 2021 AND BEYOND

(February 2, 2021) Anaheim, CA – Nellson, LLC (Nellson), a leading North American manufacturer of branded and private label nutritional bar and functional powder solutions, recently shared insight into the latest immune-boosting ingredients and trends impacting development and formulations of better-for-you food and beverages.

There has long been a niche for products that offer immunity support, even before our world was rocked by a global pandemic. As more and more consumers seek ways to maintain optimal health, there is a huge opportunity for brands to expand this market segment. According to a recent Mintel report, 21% of consumers had consumed an immune-boosting drink prior to COVID-19, with 51% of consumers preferring functional drinks to traditional vitamins, minerals and supplements.¹

"General well-being and taking care of the innate immune system is being embraced by consumers," said Bart Child, Chief Commercial Officer of Nellson. "Demand for products that support immune health is driving a new generation of nutritional products. Our team has been working on a variety of product prototypes specific to immune health at our Launchpad Innovation Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Our Innovation Center allows us to work closely with customers to achieve any number of label claims while our technical team assists with product formulations, reformulations, flavor masking and modulating, to ensure immunity-targeted formulas taste great and meet nutritional objectives."

"There are a number of immune-boosting ingredients that are trending, such as very simple vitamin and mineral additions like vitamin C (sourced from anything from ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate to amla powder, acerola extract, citrus bioflavonoid complex, or other natural sources), vitamin D, zinc, magnesium and elderberry,” said Lisa Unlu, Director of R&D-Powders of Nellson. “Ingredients such as zinc mineral sources and elderberry powders are experiencing surges in demand demonstrating the importance of a stable supply chain."

"Our customers benefit from Nellson’s supply chain which ensures we are able to source and supply the types of functional ingredients customers desire for this growing market category," said Child. "As we transition into 2021, interest in immune health will remain strong due to COVID-19 and the demands for these ingredients will likely continue."

"A healthy immune system is dependent on keeping inflammation low in the body. Combinations of turmeric, with its active compound curcumin, ginger which contains the antioxidant gingerol, and black pepper or piperine extract, work synergistically to help reduce inflammation and calm the digestive tract. Maintaining a healthy gut lining is essential for immune health, and to support that, prebiotic fibers and probiotics are recommended for immune health formulations, either separately or in combination, to optimize digestive and immune health," said Unlu.

"There is a range of up-and-coming ingredients with very good clinical research for use in immune-boosting products," said Unlu. "Quercetin, a standardized flavonoid from Sophora japonica L., has been shown to reduce oxidative stress, histamine reactions and asthma symptoms. Echinacea has demonstrated its effectiveness in immune-stimulating activity and preliminary clinical studies show a reduction of influenza symptoms. Yeast beta-glucan and yeast fermentate have been well researched for immune and allergy support, particularly in reducing upper-respiratory infections. Larch arabinogalactan (fiber from the larch tree) has been studied for its effect on reducing cold symptoms compared to placebo in healthy adults."

"As you can see, there are many ingredient options to consider when developing immunity boosting formulas," said Child. "Our technical team is here to assist customers with ingredient recommendations that will help achieve desired label claims, meet brand goals and much more. Nellson offers scale-up, powder blending, as well as a variety of innovative packaging options to help customer-partners create a new generation of great-tasting immune-boosting products that are safe and meet all regulatory requirements."

Find out more about Nellson’s latest solutions for immunity-boosting products with superior taste, functionality and shelf life by visiting https://www.nellsonllc.com/working-together/development-process.

¹MINTEL “Functional Drinks: Incl Impact of COVID-19 – USA,” Apr 2020, “COVID-19’s Impact of US Consumers,” Sept 2020.

About Nellson
Nellson, the leading full-service nutritional bar and powder provider in North America, is based in Anaheim, California with production locations in California, Utah, and Quebec. Founded in 1962, Nellson has over 55 years of diversified expertise in nutrition platforms for bars and powders, serving the sports performance, health and wellness, weight management, and medical nutrition market segments. Nellson offers formulation expertise, quality assurance, regulatory support, flexible production, and sales and marketing support.

About Kohlberg & Company
Kohlberg & Company is a leading private equity firm headquartered in Mount Kisco, New York. Since its inception in 1987, Kohlberg has organized nine private equity funds, through which it has raised over $10 billion of committed equity capital. Over its 33-year history, Kohlberg has completed 84 platform investments and nearly 200 add-on acquisitions, with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $27 billion. For more information, please visit www.kohlberg.com.