Harleysville, Pa. (June 2006) - The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), the leading provider of strategic consulting, consumer insights and market research services for the health, wellness and sustainability marketplace, today expanded on one of the key trends it has identified as having a significant impact in 2006.

According to NMI's Health & Wellness Trends DatabaseTM, 2006 will see the continued propagation of specific nutrient platform drivers across food/beverages and nutritional supplements. The desire for specificity is evident as 57% of all U.S. consumers indicate they are looking for foods that have a specific health claim and about half prefer to buy vitamins/minerals/herbals/dietary supplements that have a specific health claim. Use of functional foods and condition-specific supplements are also on the rise, showing 5-year compound annual growth rates of 17% and 16% respectively.

"This desire for health claims is evident across many consumer packaged goods. For example, with over 29 million people (adults and children) suffering from food allergies, allergen-free foods will continue to experience solid growth. Introductions of gluten-free foods alone have shown a 50% compound annual growth over the past six years and generate U.S. retail sales in excess of $400 million. Another nutrient to watch in 2006 is probiotics, which has shown annual awareness increases of 27% since 2002," according to NMI President Maryellen Molyneaux.

Manufacturers are integrating specific nutrients into foods and supplements related to certain health conditions such as heart disease and digestive health. These nutrients include fish oil, omega 3, lutein, lycopene, probiotics plant sterols, among others. "While consumers may lack understanding of the specific health benefits of some nutrients, savvy manufacturers and marketers will use this opportunity for continued education to raise the value of their nutrient-rich products in the eyes of the consumers," says Molyneaux.

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NMI is a strategic consulting, market research, and business development company specializing in the health, wellness, and sustainable marketplace. For more information on NMI's trend reports, proprietary databases and other services, visit NMI's web site at www.NMIsolutions.com.

Contact:
Nancy White
215.513.7300 ext. 225
[email protected]