Move over vitamins and herbs, minerals, the silent partners in nutrition, are becoming a stronger force in the nutraceuticals industry. From fortification to new developments and research findings, companies are finding myriad ways to address the issues and bring minerals into the diet like never before. As bone health becomes one of the anthems of the industry, calcium is in the lead in terms of the popular vote, while magnesium remains a close second for maintaining cardiovascular health. According to Nutrition Business Journal sales of minerals in 1998 were $1.13 billion, a growth rate of 6%. As we move forward into the millennium, companies will continue to tout the importance of minerals‹as well as trace minerals and fortification‹to improve the lives of the public.

Several issues surround the minerals category, including bioavailability or absorption, and solubility. These are the determining factors of which minerals are in fact beneficial and companies continue to labor to bring more of the mineral into the diet-literally.

Discussing bioavailability was Rick Harnish, sales manager, Pacific Nutritional, Vancouver, WA, who commented, "Absorption rates are not disclosed to the consumer and because of this he or she cannot differentiate between a calcium carbonate and a chelated calcium." The benefits, according to Mr. Harnish, "depend on how much of the calcium carbonate is soluble and even then the body can't absorb it all because minerals by nature are not 100% bioavailable." In other words, he said, a calcium carbonate that has a 23% absorption rate, in a 1000 mg formulation, only provides a small fraction of that, roughly 230 mg, available for absorption.

Steve Rivoir, director of sales and marketing human nutrition, EM Industries, Hawthorne, NY, agreed. "The battle being played out is the long term bioavailability and the science to back it up," he said. Sam Sylvetsky, vice president of sales, Fortitech, Inc., Schenectady, NY, added, "Bioavailability remains a tough issue because it can be studied in many ways." Similarly, Victor Moreno, president and CEO, Kelatron, Ogden, UT, commented, "Bioavailability depends on who the consumer is as well as what the contents are, the price and the target population."

Offering a different angle was Judy Hahn, marketing manager-specialty precipitated calcium carbonate for healthcare, Specialty Minerals, Bethlehem, PA. "America is largely calcium deficient and part of it is because the body requires such a large amount," she said. "The conclusion about different varieties of calcium is that once it gets into your stomach and dissolves it will be effective no matter what form you take."

Finally, Frank Ciara, vice president of marketing, Chelated Minerals, Salt Lake City, UT, said, "What matters is how the mineral is absorbed, utilized and finally what is the nutritional effect. Continual research needs to be done in these areas."

Tied into all of this is the challenge of solubility, which has companies working extra hard to bring a mineral to market in a form that is non-irritating, nutritionally beneficial and as close to 100% bioavailable as possible. One company that has been innovative in the minerals category in terms of solubility is Trace Minerals Research, Ogden, UT, with its "Liquimins" line of colloidal minerals. Another company proceeding along similar lines is Eidon, San Diego, CA, with its liquid silica mineral supplement line, termed by the company as "extremely bioavailable." As easy to drink liquids, these products claim to have a high rate of absorption because colloidal minerals are by definition minerals that are finely divided and suspended in a liquid, which in theory, makes them more soluble and therefore more easily absorbed by the body.

However, Max Motyka, director of marketing and sales, Albion Laboratories, St. Clair Shores, MI, preached caution. "Minerals are suspended in a liquid because the assumption is that this is a way for them to become soluble, but that is not always the case," he said.

Education Challenges
Suppliers agree that more research and more education needs to be done for this segment to continue to grow. The question is, who should be doing the educating? Some believe that the responsibility of education falls on the companies, while others believe it is the job of the consumer.

Pacific Nutritionals' Mr. Harnish said, "Only a handful of store owners will now sit down with their customers one on one and educate them about what they should be taking," he said. "Bigger retail stores lose that one on one connection and therefore unless the consumer is knowledgeable themselves, they will not be able to make a good guess on what is right for them."

Some believe consumers are becoming more knowledgeable, however. According to Rick Kaiser, vice president of sales for Nutrition 21, a division of AMBI, San Diego, CA, "There is a degree of improved consumer awareness of minerals and their impact on nutrition and the body."

Unfortunately for the consumer, the issue still remains confusing. Mr. Motyka said, "All of the fancy language on bottles containing supplements is a way of saying, 'we are throwing all of this stuff in here to make it look good.'" As a result the consumer can be misled and might wind up purchasing a cheaper version of a mineral that may not work as effectively.

In a related issue Mr. Motyka emphasized, "Labeling is very important and it is going to take a very big effort and a lot of time and money to get the consumer to look for those 'better' goods. The consumer is very vulnerable and whether the science is right or wrong, if the products' label is convincing enough, a sale will always be made."

Mr. Kaiser, however, believes that the level of science is not a concern. "There is a lot more science behind minerals than any of the other industries," he said. "We don't experience controversy over minerals like the herbal industry does. The minerals industry is a more stable and predictable business that is not caught up in a boom and bust system."

The bottom line, according to Mr. Harnish, is consumers need to be more educated. "As it is now retailers are not going to educate consumers if they themselves do not truly understand what it is they are selling."

Paying The Price
Pricing issues run rampant throughout the nutraceuticals industry and the minerals category is no exception. Ms. Hahn said, "Of all the calcium compounds you can take, calcium carbonate is the best pricewise and that is a big thing to consider in this economy. You use less of it to begin with, so in the end it is the economical choice."

But is it the best choice? Rodger Rohde, president, Triarco Industries, Wayne, NJ, said, "It is really not a matter of how much you take from a product; it is a matter of how much you absorb."

Diane Wright Hoffpauer, Wright Enrichment, Crowley, LA, added, "Some minerals are more stable than others. Providing a mineral form that is bioavailable, stable and cost effective is the key to any formulation," she said. "For some companies the specialized form of the mineral solves so many problems that it is cost effective to use the superior product, but for other companies it poses difficulties."

It was a large step forward for consumers to have at least digested the concept of supplementing. The next step is to steer them in the direction of quality. For those dedicated to supplying these raw materials to manufacturers, quality remains more important than quantity.

Chelated Minerals: Pro And Con
With all of the forms of minerals available, it is hard for consumers to weed though nutrition labels and make sense of what is there. It becomes an added challenge to decide whether or not, for example, a calcium carbonate or a chelated mineral is the best choice. Jerry O'Dea, vice president and general manager, Glanbia (formerly Avonmore Waterford Ingredients), Monroe, WI, commented, "Calcium carbonate is on the bottom as far as bioavailability. And solubility is only possible at a low pH but not at a neutral pH." Of course the question remains whether consumers can make this distinction.

Mr. Harnish stressed the importance of chelated minerals. "Chelated minerals are absolutely necessary, especially from a bioavailability standpoint," he said. Although the minerals market in this industry is very price driven, Mr. Harnish believes that the focus needs to change. "Manufacturers need to learn how to use chelates to their advantage but that will always be a problem, because at the consumer level price always comes second to quality."

Albion's Mr. Motyka explained that chelates are more expensive to produce because there is a lot more involved in the formulation process. He said, "No minerals are bad for you, but chelated minerals are just better." Currently Albion Laboratories maintains 58 patents in the chelated minerals area.

Nutrition 21's Mr. Kaiser agreed, "Chelated minerals are important but you pay more for an organic form because of the increased bioavailability." He continued, "For example there are very cheap forms of selenium that are not bioavailable and (low quality) chromium chloride is sold but it goes through your body like sand."

Chelated Minerals' Mr. Ciara said, "Chelated minerals have an advantage, because they protect the mineral from detrimental interactions and antagonists in the diet that render free metal unavailable and their form is better utilized in various biological systems." Further, he said "Chelates ensure the opportunity for better absorption and utilization, even under stressful or variable nutritional conditions, that may not be afforded in inorganic or ionic forms."

Just because it says chelated, however, does not mean that all problems are solved. EM's Mr. Rivoir offered a sobering perspective. "There are quality issues in relation to chelation as well. They can be effective; the question is whether or not a company is supplying a true chelated mineral," he said.

Combination Vs. Single Formulas
In the past a multivitamin/mineral was believed to be enough to sustain health. However, as the practice of targeting specific health conditions has surfaced, single minerals and more recently, combinations, are gaining in popularity.

Mr. Rohde explained, "As people do more and more research on combinations, they will become increasingly popular. Theoretically they make a lot of sense but there is also a formulation challenge and still a lot of work needs to be done."

In agreement with Mr. Rohde, Kelatron's Dr. Moreno said, "As we understand more, we are able to add more components. For instance any calcium that does not contain both boron and vitamin D is flawed in my opinion." He continued, "It makes sense to produce combinations because one mineral cannot take care of everything but in combination can enhance the performance of other minerals on the body."

Mr. Motyka gave an example in the case of calcium. "Calcium alone will maintain bone health but will not make up for bone loss," he said. "You need other trace elements to help build more bone mass." This is where combination formulas become most important.

According to Mr. Motyka, "It is not wrong to take just a single formula but there are always combinations that will be more effective." However, he added, "It also depends on whether or not you are targeting a specific condition or whether you are just trying to get the RDA of minerals in your diet."

Will the rise of combination formulas make single formulas obsolete? Mr. Kaiser said no. "You will never not see single formulas and combination formulas remain as devices for companies to express their uniqueness," he said.

Single mineral supplements will never disappear, agreed Wright Enrichment's Ms. Hoffpauer. "There is always going to be a need to address specific health issues." she said.

Fortification: It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore
The thought of consuming minerals may not seem appealing to some but with the recent advancements in technology, fortification has made the concept more digestible. Because it has become increasingly difficult to retrieve nutrients at optimum levels from food sources like vegetables, grains and fruit, major food companies have taken a different approach.

Fortification has been a means for companies to address the needs of the consumer in a way that promotes health and sustains good taste, which in this industry is a must. Triarco's Mr. Rohde commented, "In foods taste is paramount. Fortified foods, to be successful, must be formulated not just for nutrition but for taste. As long as the taste is there, the demand will be also."

Mr. Harnish offered, "Due to the poor conditions of our soils, more and more foods are being fortified with minerals." He gave as an example iron, which is currently being added to milk. "In addition many cereals are being fortified with minerals," he said.

According to Mr. Kaiser, fortification is still slow in coming to the marketplace. "The fortification concept is alive and well in certain beverages and bars. However, it is still on the fringe and not yet in the mainstream, primarily for economic reasons." He went on, "Some minerals cannot be incorporated into foods because of the lack of GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status and therein lies a huge expense on the part of companies to have those studies done."

Another problem food companies run into, according to Ms. Hoffpauer, is the reactive nature of the minerals with other compounds. She explained, "When you try to put minerals in foods, you have to be careful because they react with other compounds and can create off flavors, off colors and off odors." Copper, for example, can react with other ingredients and turn food blue, she said.

Commenting on the hot trends in fortification was EM's Mr. Rivoir, who said, "Fortified cereals are big and beverages are hot right now. Other fruit juices are being fortified; it's not just orange juice anymore." Ms. Hahn agreed. "Fortification is moving beyond orange juice and you will see it move into cereals because these days kids are eating cereals dry instead of with milk," she said.

Glanbia's Mr. O'Dea commented, "Fortification versus supplements will be a huge factor; however, there is room for both. As the population ages, more people will rely on supplements AND food fortification."

Blurring the lines between the two-and also addressing Americans' sweet tooth-are the new chewable calcium products introduced in the last year. "Viactiv" manufactured by Mead Johnson, Evansville, IN, and "Calburst" by Nature Made, Mission Hills, CA, both debuted last spring and are reportedly doing well. More recently Natrol, Chatsworth, CA debuted its version of the chewable calcium. Available in two flavors, Peppermint and Cocoa Mint Raspberry, the chewable mint provides 250 mg of elemental calcium carbonate with vitamin D and contains 10 calories per chewable.