Mineral supplement brands broaden consumer base

After a hiccup in the iron supplement production chain last year, iron is looking solid for a resurgence in sales. Such brands as Feosol, powered by Meda Consumer, are ramping up messaging to such traditional target markets as young women with heavy menstruation, pregnant women and the aging population, all consumer bases who may need to supplement their diets with iron.

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For the 52 weeks ended April 10, sales of iron supplements were down slightly by 3.2% to $75 million, due to that production hiccup.



“We’re steadily recapturing our customer base,” Rich King, director sales, consumer healthcare division at Meda Pharmaceuticals, said. “Feosol has had a very strong following being a legacy brand, and also we’re going after our younger consumers,” he said. “We’re broadening the base that we have.”



But other rapidly growing segments include active baby boomers and recreational athletes. For example, the approximately 60.8 million Americans who ran in the past year, according to Statista, experience heavy iron loss and need acute supplementation.



There may even be an opportunity to create a synergistic incremental purchase. For example, the Department of Health and Human Services in December recommended that consumers supplement their diets with foods rich in vitamin C to enhance absorption of nonheme (plant-based) iron.