Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1331851
32D January/February 2021 Tablets & Capsules and plant-based ingredients and finished products. Spe- cifically, we are excited to see how our newest excipients perform as they offer superior oil or water absorption. Bunting: We expect to see an increased interest in online learning and comprehensive tool management systems as manufacturers realize their importance to successful operation. Distance learning will continue to be important as we try to navigate our way through the stormy sea of the pandemic. With this in mind, we have been working hard to turn our class-based seminars, which provided comprehensive advice and guidelines on tablet tooling, into online programs. This will allow us to share our expertise in tablet tooling to a global audience and help nutraceutical tablet manufacturers optimize their manufacturing processes. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Peirce: Now more than ever, there is more communi- cation taking place along the supply chain. Where fore- casts were almost unheard of in the past, customers are communicating their needs to manufacturers much earlier. Continuing this level of communication will strengthen the industry and minimize outages where possible. Ung: In challenging times, we really see the best of people and organizations. We're thankful to our employ- ees for working and staying safe; we're thankful to our customers for trusting in our ability to produce; and we're thankful to our vendors and business partners that keep us supplied. The pandemic has opened the public's eyes and increased awareness of dietary supplements. It's up to the leaders within the nutraceutical industry to build on this by investing in research, innovation, and people to propel the industry forward. T&C References 1 . h t t p s : / / w w w . c r n u s a . o r g / n e w s r o o m / d i e t a r y - supplement-usage-dramatically-during-pandemic-new- ipsos-crn-survey-shows 2. https://www.ft.com/content/fbcfe8df-4ab9-47c3- 974e-320e0d320d19 Best Formulations City of Industry, CA 626 912 9998 www.bestformulations.com I Holland Nottingham, UK info@iholland.co.uk www.tablettingscience.com Ribus St Louis, MO 314 727 4287 www.ribus.com Syntegon Pharma Technology Minneapolis, MN 763 424 4700 www.syntegon.com What are some opportunities for your company and/ or the nutraceutical industry in the coming year? Ung: There's certainly an increased consumer aware- ness of health supplements and preventative medicine, and the industry is hoping that this could be a sustained increase based on changing habits and education. This should result in increased investments in research, innova- tion, education, and opportunities within the nutraceutical industry. A lot of media attention has focused on vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, elderberry, and other immune-en- hancing ingredients. Demand for those products has increased significantly while demand for other categories such as vision health and sport supplements has declined. As the country returns to normalcy through 2021, the slow moving categories from last year may catch up. Peirce: As we move into 2021, we have a many oppor- tunities for growth. Additional manufacturing capacity, growing demand for dietary supplements, and a market that is very receptive to clean label excipients are key areas of focus. As we have expanded our line of excipients to over 12 conventional and organic product offerings, we are able to provide clean label functionality to virtu- ally all nutraceutical areas. Dudziak and Myers: Even as the COVID-19 pan- demic eases, I believe consumers will continue their increased consumption of dietary supplements, espe- cially those products that support the immune system. Of course, we will continue to provide on-site service to our nutraceutical customers, while continuing to create inno- vation in our equipment for these manufacturers. What trends do you predict for the industry in the coming year? Ung: We believe immune-enhancing ingredients will continue to be very strong in 2021. More consumers are entering the health category and educating themselves, which provides opportunities for other categories. As we return to normalcy, some of the trends of 2019 will resurface, such as sustainability, natural ingredients, and non-animal products. Dudziak and Myers: I think that we will continue to see heavy demand for supplements for some time to come. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many of us to seek products that support immune system health, and I suspect this trend will continue as consumers will continue to have heightened awareness of the need to maintain immune health. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold in 2020, many companies simply were not sure what the impact would be on their busi- nesses. Throughout the year, we saw significant growth in our business overall, with a considerable portion of that growth coming in the form of orders from our nutraceutical customers. Peirce: We have seen continued growth and increased demand for clean label excipients, which aligns with the increased consumption of dietary supplements. Because of this, we also predict an increasing trend for clean label