09.05.18
Trust Transparency Center released the results of a new survey finding that most Americans prefer natural dietary supplements over synthetic and think synthetic supplements should be labeled as such.
The national survey fielded by Ooyen Research was conducted in August 2018 on behalf of Trust Transparency Center. The survey was conducted online among a cross section of 1,002 adults in the U.S., age 18 and over. The survey found:
- Among supplement users and those with an opinion, 83% of respondents said synthetic supplements should always be labeled.
- Fifty-one percent of women said supplements should always be labeled synthetic
- Only 8.15% of respondents said they would purchase synthetic-labeled supplements and of that group 4.32% of respondents said they'd want the product labeled synthetic.
Should manufacturers be required to identify/label "synthetic" ingredients used in a dietary supplement (vitamins, minerals, herbs, protein powder, fish oil, etc.)?
"We live in an era of increasing transparency," said Scott Steinford, founder and managing partner, Trust Transparency Center and author of The ROI of Trust Transparency.
"Consumers expect brands to be transparent with their materials and the results of this survey support that consumers want to know if the product they're buying is derived from synthetic material."
In August 2018, the European Commission (EC) issued a ruling that allows the term synthetic to be removed from zeaxanthin labels. The ruling stated that it was "to alleviate any potential negative economic impact that the use of synthetic may cause due to the negative connotation of the term synthetic."
"In some cases, the synthetic form is more beneficial to the body, and without labeling consumers won't know that," added Mr. Steinford. "Making decisions to help the economic well-being of a company vs. offering trust transparency to consumers is a disservice to consumers and the industry."
Trust Transparency Center conducts periodic surveys to gather insight on consumer behavior and attitudes toward supplements.
