The Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements industry has evolved from a commodity multivitamin business into a sophisticated, consumer-driven market of targeted supplements addressing specific health outcomes such as immunity, gut health, mood, and brain health. Today, strong consumer branding, premium formulations, and DTC models set companies apart through clinically-backed ingredients, specialized delivery systems, and targeted health benefits. These consumer-driven shifts are directly shaping what Branded VMS companies require from their contract development and manufacturing partners – raising expectations around formulation sophistication, delivery format innovation, speed to market, and supply chain transparency, according to a new report released by the Food and Beverage investment banking team at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL).

BGL Provides a Deeper Dive into the Consumer and Category Trends Impacting the Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements Sector:

Preventative Health & Self-Care Normalization

Preventive health and self-care normalization are transforming supplements from discretionary wellness purchases into core components of everyday health management. The Council for Responsible Nutrition reports that 75% of Americans use dietary supplements, of which 91% consider them vital to their health. Most consumers use daily supplements for overall health, energy, stress, and immune support, reflecting a broader emphasis on preventive wellness. Self-care is now a mainstream approach to preventive health, encouraged by social media and online communities. Influencer-led wellness content and peer communities have accelerated category discovery, normalizing daily supplementation across age groups.

Key Functional Areas/End-Use Categories

Consumers are increasingly choosing products tailored to specific health goals. This shift toward outcome-driven, targeted supplementation is reshaping brand strategy across the category – and expanding the scope and complexity of what CDMOs are asked to develop and manufacture. Executive panelists in NutraIngredients 2026 Business Leaders Forum weighed in on “standout momentum” in functional areas tied to active nutrition, gut health, and practitioner-led purchasing, weight management, and longevity.

As consumer interest in traditional weight management supplements is moderating, the swift rise in GLP-1 weight-loss drug use is increasing demand for supplements that help manage their side effects. “GLP-1 stacking” (supplements and nutrition products used alongside GLP-1 weight-loss drugs) is seeing strong growth, driven by the expanding population of GLP-1 users.

Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition is transitioning from a niche, athlete-focused category into a mainstream health staple. Products once exclusive to competitive athletes and fitness enthusiasts are now embedded in everyday wellness routines – driven by mainstream consumers seeking performance, weight control, and healthy aging outcomes. Rising obesity rates and related conditions are also driving interest in products with a preventive health focus.15 “Sports nutrition is evolving beyond performance enhancement to become a core component of preventive healthcare and active living. Brands that combine science, transparency, and personalization will lead the next phase of market growth,” said Neha Rathod Godbole, chief executive officer of Vantage Market Research.

Interest in ingredients like magnesium, creatine, and protein for strength, recovery, cognition, and long-term health span is growing, aligned with increased consumer interest in daily performance and longevity. Growing consumer focus on hydration, endurance performance, and everyday wellness is driving strong growth in electrolyte supplements.

Sleep, Stress, and Mood

Sleep, stress, and mood support are consistently high-growth functional categories within the VMS market, driven by increased mental health awareness and robust consumer interest in natural approaches for enhancing sleep quality, managing stress, and promoting emotional well-being.

Immunity

Immune health is a major and stable category in supplements, as consumers see it as essential for prevention and daily wellness. A strong immune system can aid in preventing infection, regulating inflammation, supporting recovery, and maintaining long-term health.

Women’s Health & Hormonal Wellness

Women’s health and hormonal wellness is one of the fastest-growing segments in the VMS market, driven by rising consumer demand for products addressing fertility, prenatal and postnatal support, hormonal balance, bone density, and perimenopause and menopause management. Brands targeting this space are investing in clinically validated ingredients and condition-specific formulations tailored to women’s distinct physiological needs across life stages.

Key growth areas include menopause and perimenopause support (including ingredients such as phytoestrogens, black cohosh, and ashwagandha), iron and folate for reproductive health, magnesium and calcium for bone support, and collagen for skin and joint health. The “femtech” trend is accelerating crossover between digital health tools and supplement regimens, creating new demand for personalized, subscription-based women’s wellness products – a dynamic with direct implications for CDMOs offering flexible batch sizes and rapid formulation development.

AI-Driven Personalization

Personalization technology is reshaping how consumers discover and purchase supplements. AI-driven recommendation platforms – powered by health quizzes, wearable data, and purchase history – are enabling brands to build highly tailored supplement regimens at scale. At-home microbiome testing, nutrigenomics kits, and biomarker panels are further enabling condition-specific product recommendations. Subscription-based personalized regimens are growing in popularity, particularly among millennial and Gen Z consumers who expect a digital-first, individualized experience.

To learn more about the trends driving growth in the VMS market, download BGL’s recent Insider.

BGL’s Food & Beverage investment banking team has deep sector knowledge and extensive transaction expertise representing branded and private label companies, with an emphasis on specialty products. Coverage spans the global supply chain from ingredients to processing and distribution.

As Vitamins, Minerals & Supplement brands seek specialized expertise to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, the Contract Development Manufacturer Organization (CDMO) industry is shifting toward science-driven product development and strategic partnerships to manage regulatory complexity, while outsourcing provides the operational agility and speed-to-market that today’s competitive landscape demands.

The CDMO market is seeing strong growth as brands look for specialized expertise to differentiate their products in a competitive, health-conscious market. The industry is evolving beyond commodity manufacturing and toward highly specialized, science-driven product development, often involving partnerships to navigate complex regulatory landscapes, according to a new report released by the Food and Beverage investment banking team at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL).

CDMOs are vital to Branded VMS companies because they offer advanced development and formulation solutions, enabling companies to innovate and respond quickly to market demands. Brands rely on CDMOs to accelerate product development and launch timing, accessing specialized expertise in R&D, formulation, and regulatory compliance. These organizations provide comprehensive, end-to-end services, from ingredient sourcing and manufacturing to quality control and packaging, which allow brands to scale operations efficiently and focus their resources on distribution, marketing, and branding. By partnering with CDMOs, brands gain operational flexibility and reduce risks related to capital investment, production inconsistencies, and regulatory challenges.

As the CDMO landscape consolidates – with larger platform players expanding capabilities and geographic footprint through acquisition – brands benefit from greater service breadth while navigating a more concentrated supplier base.

BGL’s Food & Beverage investment banking team has deep sector knowledge and extensive transaction expertise representing branded and private label companies, with an emphasis on specialty products. Coverage spans the global supply chain from ingredients to processing and distribution.

Food ingredients encompass the substances used to deliver specific functional, technical, or sensory outcomes in food and beverage products, playing a critical role across processing, storage, formulation, and performance, according to a new report released by the Food and Beverage investment banking team at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL). As the global food and beverage ingredients market moves toward a projected value of approximately $560 billion by 2034, the stakes and rewards for suppliers and manufacturers are rising rapidly.

A powerful combination of health-focused consumer behavior, sustainability expectations, evolving regulation, and continued premiumization is reshaping the competitive landscape, making innovation no longer optional but essential. Ingredient companies that anticipate these shifts and deliver solutions combining functionality, transparency, and compelling sensory performance will be best positioned to capture value and secure a durable competitive edge over the next decade. As formulation and supply-chain complexity increase, scale, technical expertise, and trusted customer relationships are becoming key differentiators for ingredient suppliers.

Regional Overview:

In Europe, the food ingredients market places strong emphasis on sustainability, traceability, and ethical sourcing, reflecting the region’s focus on responsible consumption. Demand is increasingly centered on clean-label ingredients, functional nutrition, and high-quality protein sources from both plant and animal origins. This shift is driven by consumer preferences for transparency, provenance, and minimally processed foods.

Asia-Pacific is projected to experience the fastest growth in the food ingredients market, driven by strong demand for flavor enhancers and distinctive taste profiles.

North America accounted for the largest revenue share. The region’s food ingredients market is characterized by a strong shift toward clean-label products, with consumers increasingly favoring natural and organic ingredients.

Market Drivers:

Stringent Ingredients: The US FDA has banned the use of Red Dye No. 3, a synthetic color additive that imparts a bright cherry-red hue to foods and beverages, after decades of debate over its potential cancer risk in animal studies. The ban covers its use in food and ingested drugs, with manufacturers required to reformulate food products by January 15, 2027, and orally ingested pharmaceuticals by January 18, 2028.
Gut Health and Microbiome-focused Ingredients: Digestive wellness and microbiome support are emerging as key drivers of demand for prebiotic fibers, postbiotics, and processing-stable probiotic strains used in product formulations. Ingredient suppliers and brands are incorporating these components into everyday foods to support mild, lifestyle-oriented digestive health claims on mainstream products.

Targeted and Holistic Nutrition: The ingredient focus is shifting toward targeted, whole-body well-being, with tailored solutions for energy, gut health, immunity, metabolic support, and weight management. Changing eating patterns linked to GLP-1 use are driving demand for higher-protein, highly satiating, and
fiber-dense ingredient systems that help control appetite and support balanced intake.

Next-Gen Sugar Reduction and Sweetening Systems: Ingredient suppliers are advancing multi-component sweetening systems that combine natural high-intensity sweeteners, fibers, and modulators to replicate sugar’s functionality without compromising taste or texture. As regulatory scrutiny and consumer demand for lower-sugar formulations rise, integrated sweetness solutions are becoming core drivers of innovation across beverages, snacks, and dairy.

AI-Enabled Food Formulation: AI and machine learning are increasingly used to predict ingredient and product shelf life, enabling formulation adjustments that extend freshness and cut waste. These tools
also support virtual sensory analysis, modeling flavor and texture interactions in advance to design new products that more precisely match evolving consumer preferences.

BGL’s Food & Beverage investment banking team has deep sector knowledge and extensive transaction expertise representing branded and private label companies, with an emphasis on specialty products. Coverage spans the global supply chain from ingredients to processing and distribution.

In 2026, conscious consumption has become a priority, as consumers increasingly seek options that align with both budget constraints and environmental sustainability.

Within this context, the food and beverage market is well-positioned for continued growth, according to a new report released by the Food and Beverage investment banking team at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL). Expansion is being fueled by increased demand for personalized nutrition, higher levels of investment in food innovation, the broadening of categories, heightened emphasis on supply chain transparency, and accelerated adoption of smart retail technologies.

Key trends include growing demand for organic and clean-label products, wider deployment of advanced food processing systems, stronger focus on functional and nutrient-enriched offerings, rapid growth in e-commerce food distribution, increased consumer preference for portion-controlled and smaller-format products that support convenience and mindful consumption, and an intensified focus on sustainable packaging.

A Deeper Dive Into the 2026 Food & Beverage M&A Trends:

Bifurcation in Consumer Demand Favoring Both Value and Premium Products: Premiumization is becoming more selective and story-driven, with successful new products requiring a clear “why,” whether rooted in health benefits, convenience, indulgence, or ethical positioning, rather than incremental upgrades at higher price points.

Functional and Protein-Focused Products Expand Across Categories: High-protein claims are becoming a leading on-pack attribute, aligning with demand for satiety, muscle recovery, and energy. BFY, fiber, and gut health claims are also gaining prominence, as brands incorporate prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber-rich ingredients alongside protein. High-protein snacks, bars, and beverages continue performing well as consumers seek convenient functional formats that support active lifestyles, particularly among younger demographics.

Global Flavor Acceleration: Flavor innovation in 2026 is balancing comfort and adventure, pairing familiar, emotionally reassuring tastes with bolder global profiles, “swicy” (sweet-and-spicy) combinations, and hybrid flavor concepts.

Snackification and Portion Control: Consumers are elevating snacking by prioritizing flavor, texture, and overall eating experience, reinforcing snacks as intentional, high-satisfaction moments rather than simple fillers between meals.

Clean-label and Simplified Formulas: Clean-label ingredients have evolved from a niche attribute into a core growth engine, with the market projected to expand from $57.3 billion in 2025 to over $212.4 billion by 2035, representing a CAGR of 15.5%, driven by rising expectations around transparency and
ingredient safety.

AI-Enabled Marketing and Supply Chain Visibility: AI is transforming food marketing into a real-time personalization engine, with some brands reporting ~20% lifts in email opens and conversions when campaigns, offers, and content are tailored to consumer behavior and context.

Flexibility and digital integration are now embedded in daily life, with evolving work patterns and online platforms enabling more fluid routines. As the boundaries between work, home, and leisure blur, consumers are seeking greater control over their time, clearer structure, and accessible moments of escape within everyday life.

Against this backdrop, the food and beverage market remains well-positioned for sustained growth. The global market is projected to expand from approximately $7.0 trillion in 2025 to $9.3 trillion by 2030, representing a CAGR of 5.9%, driven by demand for personalized nutrition, food innovation, evolving offerings, supply chain transparency, smart retail technologies, and continued momentum in organic, clean-label, functional, portion-controlled and smaller-format products, e-commerce, and sustainable packaging trends.

BGL’s Food & Beverage investment banking team has deep sector knowledge and extensive transaction expertise representing branded and private label companies, with an emphasis on specialty products. Coverage spans the global supply chain from ingredients to processing and distribution.