Japan Offers Insight Into Nutraceutical Market 12/28/99 Described as foods and beverages that claim health benefits beyond basic nutrition, nutraceuticals and other functional foods have found a receptive audience in Japan, according to consulting and strategic marketing firm, PROMAR International, Consumers there are serving soups with collagen to moisturize and help heal damaged skin and downing soft drinks and chewing gum made with blueberry extract to relieve eyestrain, among other things.``The activity in Japan is in many ways a sneak preview of what the future holds for nutraceuticals, says Don Westfall, senior vice president of PROMAR International, which has just completed an in-depth study of this market.``While Campbell and Kellogg appear to have stumbled in the US functional foods market, there are still tremendous opportunities remarks Westfall.``Domestic and multinational food and drinks firms with functional foods ambitions should consider looking eastward both for product ideas and opportunities. Today, Japan is clearly the worlds most dynamic nutraceutical market.The PROMARs study, ``Japanese Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods and FOSHU, takes a detailed and wide-ranging look at the current market, identifying and explaining the catalysts for nutraceuticals growth, and describing the massive potential of the next decade.The report profiles leading firms in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors, and evaluates industry issues by sector and player types because, notes Westfall, ``There are some important lessons to be learned from the successes and failures of various product offerings, which are crucial for developing strategic imperatives for market entrants.The study is available for $13,500.PROMAR International, located in Alexandria, VA, is a consulting firm specializing in strategy development for food and beverage companies. PROMAR is a subsidiary of the Produce Studies Group, a global consulting and research company serving the entire food chain.For more information contact: Kurt Redenbo, PROMAR International, 1625 Prince Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. Tel: 703-739-9090.
