New Year's Dietary Supplement Market 'Dark Horse' Individual Recognition Items for Gut Health

Individual Recognition Functional Ingredient Production Scale Grows 29.8% Year-on-Year
"Following Like Commerce Trends, D2C Channel Expansion Planned"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] With growing interest in immunity due to the impact of COVID-19, the health functional food market is rapidly expanding.

According to industry sources on the 16th, the domestic health functional food market size exceeded 5 trillion won by the end of last year. The individually recognized products grew to 469.6 billion won, a 29.8% increase compared to the previous year, based on the functional ingredient production performance announced by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

Research on natural materials that can help stomach health is also actively underway. As pharmaceutical companies, bio and healthcare firms, as well as major food corporations enter the market, the stomach health functional food sales market size is estimated to reach about 30 billion won.

There are a total of eight individually recognized ingredients approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for stomach health functionality. In the past three years, four new ingredients have been registered, including Newmed’s Paeonia Extract Complex (HT074), Lonicera Flower Bud Extract (GreenCera-F), Spanish Licorice Extract, and Cudrania Leaf Extract.

This year, it has emerged as a notable sector in the health functional food market. The Paeonia Extract Complex is an individually recognized ingredient for stomach health that has been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its functionality and safety under the claim ‘can help stomach health.’ Its strength lies in being a stomach health material customized for Koreans, having undergone human application trials targeting Koreans domestically. In a human application trial involving 144 Koreans suffering from indigestion, those who consumed the Paeonia Extract Complex showed improvements in upper abdominal discomfort and burning chest pain compared to the control group.

Animal experiments also confirmed that it suppresses gastric mucosal damage caused by alcohol, stress, and drugs. Since the manufacturer supplies it in powder form, products are released in various formulations such as tablets, powders, and liquids. In the new year, sellers including Nutricore, CJ, Thejak, and Hurum plan to launch products in earnest, and the market size is expected to grow further.

A Newmed official stated, “This year, like-commerce, where purchases start with consumers clicking ‘like,’ will become more active,” adding, “We plan to expand the sales network of Paeonia Extract Complex products to D2C distribution channels such as pharmacies and health functional food specialty stores, along with online platforms like home shopping and our own malls.”

Since COVID-19, as eating habits that burden the stomach have become commonplace, the number of people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases has increased. With rising interest in stomach health functional foods, industry efforts to launch new functional products related to stomach health are expected to continue.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.