Nutraceuticals in India: A game changing opportunity in the healthcare and food industry

The nutraceuticals industry in India deals with functional food, beverages, and dietary supplements. Functional food includes breakfast cereals and fortified flour; functional beverages include commodities like sports drinks, fortified juices, and glucose. Dietary supplements, which constitute over 65 percent of the Indian nutraceuticals market, include macronutrients, herbal and non-herbal extracts.

The pandemic has played like a catalyst in the tremendous growth of the nutraceutical industry in India.? The pandemic has also forced the middle class to shift from pharmaceutical to nutraceutical and dietary supplements. Nutraceutical and functional foods are in trend nowadays. Consumers are showing great interest in adapting nutraceutical/functional foods in their regular diet because they not only provide good nutrition but also have therapeutic properties. Various nutraceuticals have different mechanisms of action and are hence used as alternative pharmaceuticals for mitigating health problems. In recent years, a growing interest related to nutraceuticals has arisen among different vulnerable groups of society because they act as an alternative to modern medicine.

Numerous diseases can be prevented and treated with the help of Nutraceuticals. They have become an integral part of daily food intake for every human due to the increase in lifestyle-related health issues. Ensuring the enforcement of safety and quality standards is of utmost importance, particularly considering the widespread global usage of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, prebiotics, probiotics, and herbal supplements for both preventive and therapeutic purposes. The necessity for the development of such regulatory guidelines has been further highlighted by the fast-growing global Nutraceutical business. Even though rules in the US, UK, and Europe have been simplified and made more conductive to growth of Nutraceutical product ecosystem, the Indian Nutraceutical companies and the regulatory landscape are still in their nascent stage and have a lot of room to grow and compete with other international organizations. India’s Nutraceuticals industry is expanding quickly, and several measures have been made to position the country as a major role in the future of the sector.

Trends change:

The market for Nutraceuticals has surpassed that for supplements, which was previously dominated by pharmaceuticals. The growing consumer preference for Nutraceuticals can be attributed to the increased awareness and responsiveness of the public towards health-related issues. Recent estimates suggest that the southern and eastern regions of India have the highest concentrations of the Nutraceutical market, which is also slowly gaining appeal in rural areas. This pattern has been influenced by the rural population’s increasing awareness about diseases arising from flawed lifestyle habits.

Opportunities:

India is the land of Ayurveda and is native to the concept of nutraceuticals.

Due to an increase in bad eating habits, sedentary lives, low levels of physical exercise, the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases has increased. This in turn, has led to a significant growth in the Nutraceutical market. However, there are several other factors and opportunities that are poised to further boost the Nutraceutical market in the future.

Nutraceuticals offer additional health benefits beyond basic nutrition. They are designed to provide specific nutrients, bioactive compounds, or herbal extracts that can support overall health, boost immunity, improve bodily functions, and address nutritional deficiencies.

Nutraceuticals have been increasingly gaining acceptance in India, predominantly for preventive and wellness purposes in health care. Over decades, India has seen the fastest growth in nutraceutical markets and dietary supplements.

Challenges:

Having stated the growth drivers of the nutraceutical industry, it is essential to understand the challenges faced by the industry. The first and foremost challenge is the uncertified and fake nutraceutical products flooding the market. This can be tackled by regulating the industry and thorough checking to sell only FSSAI approved products. Along with certification, the government body and the industry body must create awareness about counterfeit products and ways to check the authenticity of these.

Additionally, the absence of a streamlined system for establishing new plants for Nutraceutical product manufacturing poses challenges for new entrants in this field.

Despite the implementation of various regulations and standards in the food industry, there remains a lack of clarity regarding the registration process for Nutraceuticals and their additives. Therefore, business owners intending to market Nutraceutical products in the country are facing several obstacles and challenges, according to the current definition of drugs, regulatory authorities are categorizing Nutraceutical products, particularly those available in tablet form or as liquid orals containing vitamins and minerals, under the drug category. Any product contained in a gelatin capsule is viewed as a drug since the empty gelatin capsule is thought to meet the definition of a drug. The list of permitted food additives does not include all the additives and colourants used in the production of Nutraceutical goods.

Regulations:

Regulations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe are streamlined and have become conducive to develop nutraceutical products. The nutraceutical industry in India is coping with a dynamic regulatory scenario that is currently nascent and have scope to grow and evolve in comparison to international agencies.

The regulatory structure of nutraceuticals in India has developed after establishing the Food Safety and Standard act in 2006, which brought together eight pre-existing laws into one apex law regulated by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI). Since the introduction of this act, the regulatory framework of food products has progressed over the years with regular amendments. The major milestone in the field of nutraceuticals was in 2016 with the introduction of functional food regulations and nutraceuticals. Under these regulations, different guidelines were laid down for nutraceuticals in terms of their safety standards, health claims, and permissible limits of active ingredients and excipients for safe and effective use.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for regulating Nutraceuticals in India. Major objectives of FSSAI are to set science-based food standards and regulate their manufacture, processing, distribution, sale, and import to ensure safety and quality. ?Under its authority, the FSSAI establishes guidelines and regulations pertaining to the manufacturing, labeling, and marketing of Nutraceutical products. The primary objective of these regulations is to ensure the safety and quality of Nutraceuticals available in the Indian market. Overall, the Indian Nutraceutical market presents significant opportunities for both domestic and international companies due to the growing consumer demand for health and wellness products. The market is expected to continue its growth trajectory in the upcoming years as more consumers prioritize preventive healthcare and seek natural and holistic approaches to well-being.

India has progressed in developing a robust regulatory framework for nutraceuticals; however, a powerful system and better-coordinated actions are required to implement these guidelines and ensure food safety.

Conclusion:

The pandemic has given an impetus to the growth of the Nutraceutical industry with growing awareness for health and wellness. The Indian market is witnessing a massive surge in demand for these products; consumers are looking for safe, effective, quality products. The nutraceutical industry is rapidly adopting technology to provide consumers with innovative, safe, effective, and quality products.

The Nutraceutical industry lacks stringent regulation compared to the pharmaceutical industry. This can result in inconsistencies in quality, safety, and efficacy among different products. Some Nutraceuticals may make unsubstantiated claims or contain adulterated or low-quality ingredients.

The regulatory environment is evolving to the advantage of all the stakeholders. However, the future entirely rests on the stringent execution of standardized rules to help deal with the challenges and promote Nutraceuticals for a healthy lifestyle. Various existing laws pertaining to food and Nutraceutical hygiene and regulations have been integrated under the FSSAI. However, specific restrictions have not yet been put into place, and the government actively seeks for thoughts on how to establish them.