Something to chew on: the incredible growth in nutritional gummies

Offering both broad health support and targeted, functional benefits, gummies add a touch of fun to the world of nutritional supplements. And DCC is helping customers make the most of it

Delicious, chewy supplements that come in fun shapes and taste like candy, gummies have taken off in recent years as an alternative to traditional vitamin pills. They’re a cute, colourful, convenient way of getting nutritional support. And they’re great for anyone who must take multiple supplements each day and finds it difficult swallowing tablets. From Peppa Pig shapes to bears or fruit slices there’s no end of ways to make sure you – or your kids – are getting your recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals.

Gummies were originally introduced as a way of turning the taking of nutritional supplements into less of a chore. But the gummy world has now exploded and crossed over into wellbeing and beauty. There are gummies for strong, healthy hair and nails as well as for managing mood or supporting sleep and relaxation. Reducing inflammation, boosting immunity, relieving menopause symptoms: whatever your need or life stage, there’ll be a gummy for it, from products containing Bacillus cultures with probiotic benefits to hyaluronic acid for moisturising skin.

Wellness gummies are a US$7-billion industry

Although gummies were first made for kids, the majority now target adults, with strong uptake in the healthcare sector among pregnant women and the elderly who are worried about specific nutritional deficiencies. Brands see huge opportunities. According to DataHorizzon Research, the global market was worth US$7.2 billion a year in 2022. With a compound annual growth rate of 12.6 per cent, the market is expected to reach US$23.4 billion by 2032.

It's a lot more technically challenging to make a good gummy, however, than it is to make a capsule or a tablet. ConsumerLab, a private company that conducts testing of consumer products, found that gummies were more prone than other multivitamins to have variations in the level of nutrients expected. So, brands wanting to take advantage of the evolving market have hurdles to overcome – not least ensuring that ingredients are spread evenly through the product.

The supplier of choice for gummy brands

The most reliable way of doing this is to use a contract manufacturing specialist with the expertise to control the amount of active ingredients so they’re at the advertised dose.

That’s one of the many reasons why customers come to DCC Health & Beauty Solutions. Of our seven manufacturing facilities in the UK and the US, two specifically have invested in gummy capability. In Florida, our Ion Nutritional Labs facility has boosted production capacity to over 50 million gummies per month. This is the result of our US$30 million investment and a year-long construction project – the new production facility opened in August 2023.

In the UK, our EuroCaps facility has capacity to also manufacture over 50 million gummies each month using a start-of-the art, starch-free machine to supply some of the highest-quality nutritional gummies on the market.

Both facilities offer a turnkey service covering all the production stages from research and development to custom formulation and quality control and uphold the highest standards of quality, safety and service through certifications and memberships.

A major advantage for customers wanting to develop complex, good-for-you products is that Ion and EuroCaps are focused on reducing the amount of sugar in their products. Ion has developed a proprietary, sugar-free base which is customisable with a variety of high-quality ingredients and flavours. EuroCaps offers a reduced sugar option and a sugar-free base formulation is coming later this year.

All EuroCap’s gummies are 100 per cent plant based, with no gelatin or animal-derived ingredients. Likewise, Ion’s expertise with vegan, organic, gluten-free, kosher and halal-certified products aligns with today’s dietary preferences.

So, there’s no better time to bring a gummy product to market – or to enjoy them and boost your day-to-day nutrition at the same time. It’s all part of DCC’s purpose to invest in the lifelong health the world needs.