Elderberry expands in supplements, food, and beverages

August 3, 2020

Mike Straus

New product launches are keeping elderberry fresh and hip.

New Chapter's elderberry dietary supplement lineup. Photo from New Chapter.

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) products are popping up everywhere, both in supplements and in functional foods. Mainstream consumer awareness of elderberry has grown significantly in recent years, buoyed by concerns around immune health and antioxidant support.

Data provided by Innova Market Insights show that elderberry food and beverage product launches grew by 12% per year from 2017 to 2019. More recently, though, Artemis International (Fort Wayne, IN) Vice President of Sales and Business Development Chris Tower told Nutritional Outlook that the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a 400% increase in consumer demand for elderberry products.1

A product that was once a "Monty Python" joke is now an emerging health trend on the cusp of becoming mainstream. As elderberry continues to become more popular, expect brands to push product innovation. Here are some of the trends emerging in elderberry products.

Supplements Diversify: Gummies, Powders, and Drops

Elderberry is a popular ingredient in immune health supplements, and for good reason: its anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting properties are well supported by clinical trials2 and in vitro studies3. Now, elderberry supplements are diversifying into various product formats that offer different advantages.

New Chapter launched elderberry stick packs in November 2019. Photo from New Chapter.

Surveying product launches tracked by Innova, November 2019 saw the release of elderberry powder stick packs by New Chapter. In January 2020, baby products brand Mommy’s Bliss added organic elderberry drops to its product line. Most recently, in February 2020, Nature’s Truth released black elderberry gummies. These supplements reflect the continued diversification of elderberry product formats, allowing consumers the flexibility to choose a supplement format that meets their lifestyle needs.

Elderberry a Hit in Yogurt and Tea

The functional food space is also seeing an influx of elderberry. Two of the emerging verticals in elderberry foods are hot tea and yogurt. Hot drinks accounted for 8% of new elderberry product launches in 2019, while dairy products accounted for 9% of launches, according to Innova. Yogurts and loose-leaf teas are ideal product formats for elderberry because consumers are already familiar with other berry-based varieties of these products; major consumer brands have been selling blueberry yogurt and raspberry tea in supermarkets for years. Consumers have had widespread exposure to these products, and adding elderberry to existing berry blends is an easy way to encourage consumer adoption.

Brands like Germany-based company Onken and Australia-based company T2 are already releasing products in these categories. In November 2019, Onken released a zero-fat blueberry-elderberry yogurt for the UK market. Meanwhile, in September 2019, T2 launched its Berry Boost loose-leaf tea featuring elderberry, raspberry, strawberry, grape, and echinacea. As elderberry enters the mainstream, expect tea and dairy to be profitable verticals.

Cold Drinks Marry Berries and Buzz

Elderberry is also showing up as a base ingredient in soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, which, together, accounted for 16% of all elderberry products launched in 2019, according to Innova. In January 2020, Canada-based brand Nuba Tisane debuted an organic hibiscus cold tea with elderberry at the Specialty Food Association Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. This beverage, an herbal tisane made from an infusion of Egyptian Hibiscus sabdariffa and elderberry,claims to reduce blood pressure and boost immune function.

Nuba Tisane debuted an organic hibiscus cold tea with elderberry at the Specialty Food Association Winter Fancy Food Show. Photo from Nuba Tisane.

For consumers who prefer their drinks on the hard side, alcoholic elderberry drinks are becoming more common. September 2019 saw the launch of a cider by China-based company Taste Room, a subsidiary of Hangzhou Qiandaohu Beer Co. This 3.8% ABV cider is brewed from lychee (Litchi chinensis) and elderberry, and is served in 245-ml glass bottles.

New Launches Keep Elderberry Fresh

Elderberry products are getting more creative, with more brands launching products in categories that haven’t traditionally included elderberry. Data and analysis provided to Nutritional Outlook by Innova Market Insights show that elderberry products are now springing up in confectionery aisles, hot and cold drinks, and even dairy products. Elderberry is increasingly used in natural products with an immune health focus, and the COVID-19 pandemic is only raising its profile. As consumers gain more awareness of elderberry’s functional benefits, opportunities will arise for more elderberry products in more diverse formats.

References

1. Marrapodi A. “Immune-health roundtable: Ingredients backed by science.” Nutritional Outlook. Published online April 24, 2020. Accessed at: https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/immune-support/immune-health-roundtable-ingredients-backed-science
2. Tiralongo E et al. “Elderberry supplementation reduces cold duration and symptoms in air-travellers: A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.” Nutrients, vol. 8 no. 4 (April 2016): 182
3. Torabian G et al. “Anti-influenza activity of elderberry (Sambucus nigra).” Journal of Functional Foods, vol. 54 (March 2019): 353-360

CBD in Food : A Challenging Road Ahead

 

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Summary

Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 2pm EDT | 1pm CDT | 11am PDT

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Event Overview:

The number of CBD-containing food and drinks in the market is growing even as FDA says that CBD is currently not a legal ingredient in these products. If CBD were ever to become legal in food and drinks, market experts predict that opportunities for CBD food and drinks could be significant. In this webcast, we take a look at the challenges—and opportunities—facing CBD as a food and drink ingredient. Will CBD ever become a legal food ingredient? And, if so, what do formulators need to learn to successfully work with CBD in food and beverages? Attendees will also get an updated look at what CBD food and drink products are already on the market.

 

Key Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the legal obstacles CBD faces as a food and drink ingredient
• Learn challenges and tips when formulating with CBD in food and drinks
• Learn about what the current CBD food and drink market looks like

Who Should Attend:

• General Management
• R&D / Product Development
• Regulatory / Legal
• Marketing / Creative

 

For questions please contact Martha Devia: mdevia@mjhlifesciences.com

 

Speakers

Larry Levin
Executive Vice President
Market and Shopper Intelligence, IRI

Larry has spent his entire career in market research, leading engagements for many of the world’s largest manufacturers and retailers, including Pepsi, Coke, Lexus, Porsche, Nissan, Infiniti, Starbucks, Audi, Microsoft, and Disney, just to name a few. The first three decades of his career were spent at Synovate (formerly Market Facts), where he held a number of positions, including head of Global Automotive, executive director of International New Business Development, and leader of two global conferences—one in Beijing and one in Cairo. Following his tenure at Synovate, Larry joined TNS as head of its Consumer Sector. He was quickly elevated to President of Client Services and Relations, where he and Bob Tomei, current president of IRI’s Consumer & Shopper Marketing, co-led its North American business. In February 2010, Larry joined IRI to lead its Survey Solutions group and was then promoted to run its overall Consumer Insights business. He also led IRI’s Business Development–New Solutions until he was named Executive Vice President of Consumer & Shopper Marketing in 2017. Larry is a frequent speaker at a number of industry events, including Sweets & Snacks Expo, Confections State of the Industry, NACS State of the Industry, Shopper Marketing, HOP—State of Mass Beauty, FMI, New Products Innovation, NFRA and CSPA, and he has been a guest on Bloomberg Television’s Surveillance program as well as quoted in numerous periodicals.

Kantha Shelke, PhD, CFS
Principal
Corvus Blue LLC

Kantha Shelke, PhD, CFS, is a principal at Corvus Blue LLC, a contract food science and product development firm specializing in competitive intelligence and rapid commercialization of foods, ingredients, and technologies. Kantha practices and teaches food science and safety regulations from end-to-end in global food/supplement supply chains. A Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists, she writes for industry magazines (PLMA Live!; Prepared Foods; Food Technology), teaches in the Johns Hopkins University Master of Science Program in Food Safety Regulations, and is a member of the Faculty Advisory Board of Food and Agriculture at McGill University (Montreal) and the Faculty Advisory Board at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (Tempe, AZ).

Ashish Talati
Partner
Amin Talati Wasserman LLP

Ashish Talati leads Amin Talati & Wasserman’s FDA practice and is one of the industry’s foremost experts on FDA regulatory matters.Ashish primarily counsels clients on matters of regulatory compliance, helping them anticipate and address regulatory issues in their day-to-day business operations and strategic planning. He also advocates on their behalf before the FDA, FTC, Customs, USDA, and other federal agencies. He is considered a leading authority in the areas of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) requirements and New Dietary Ingredients (NDI). Considered a creative and strategic partner by his clients, Ashish works with companies all over the globe and is a trusted advisor at every step of the product life cycle, including product formulation, safety and efficacy studies, product launch, and ongoing marketing and sales.