Across the Nutraverse: Consumer spending in HK, KDP acquires Ghost, and more

By Stephen Daniells

- Last updated on GMT

Across the Nutraverse: Consumer spending in HK, KDP acquires Ghost, and more
A lot has happened in the global nutrition industry over the past seven days, with Keurig Dr Pepper acquiring Ghost for big money and LanzaTech accelerating its proprietary protein commercialization among the headlines. Catch up with our weekly round-up of key news from across the Nutraverse.

USA: Keurig Dr Pepper pays $1 billion for Ghost

Keurig Dr Pepper announced it is acquiring sports nutrition and energy drinks brand Ghost in a deal that will eventually be worth well over US$1 billion. The companies announced that KDP will pay an initial $990 million this year for a 60% stake in Ghost, with plans to acquire the remaining 40% in 2028 (the value of which will depend on Ghost’s 2027 performance).

Headquartered in Chicago, Ghost has seen sales more than quadruple over the past three years, with Ghost Energy one of the fastest growing brands in the category. The wider portfolio includes sports nutrition products, dietary supplements and apparel, and the 2024 launch of high protein cereals.

Ghost was founded in 2016 by Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes, with a focus on becoming a ‘lifestyle movement that includes transparent innovative products, global distribution, immersive content, key influencer partnerships and authentic collaborations’.

The brand is based in the U.S. but now also distributes to more than 40 countries across the globe.

Read the full story HERE​.

Hong Kong: Consumers spending US$100 per month on health supplements

A new survey commissioned by the Hong Kong Health Food Association (HKHFA) found that consumers in the special administrative region are spending an average of HK$781.59 (US$100.53) on health supplements each month.

A breakdown of the data showed that users of “Chinese supplements” spent a higher amount of HK$904.54 (US$116.34). Users of “Western or other health supplements”, on the other hand, spent an average of HK$577 (US$74.21) each month. Popular health supplements include vitamins or minerals (56.2 %), probiotics (36.8 %), and Chinese supplements (26.8 %).

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is one of the hottest health supplements in Hong Kong at the moment.

Visit NutraIngredients-Asia for the full article​.  

Europe: Emerging trends and opportunities in sports nutrition 2024

Experts at NutraIngredients-Europe’s recent Active Nutrition Summit revealed that the growing interest in active nutrition has created a fragmented demographic.

Matthew Oster, head of consumer health at Euromonitor International, noted that the market is experiencing sustained strong growth. According to Euromonitor data, it continues to thrive despite a small moderation since its post-COVID explosion and is expected to grow 11% in 2024.

This growth is driven by traditional performance products and a shift towards active nutrition, which appeals to consumers seeking broader health benefits. Formats like protein powders and ready-to-drink products continue to expand, which Oster attributes to an increase in casual lifestyle consumers who demand convenient and versatile options.

Of the global market, 18% consists of non-protein products like creatine, which is seeing increased adoption by older consumers, thanks to innovations in product positioning. Lifestyle-oriented claims like hydration, immunity and cognition, are also broadening consumer base as they appeal to a wider audience.

The event also featured insights from: Georgie White, chief customer officer at Holland and Barrett; Nick Morgan, founder and managing director of Nutrition Integrated; Paul Smith-Johnson, head of innovation at THG; Beatriz Gandra Balio, women’s first team nutritionist at F.C. Famalicão; Terrance O’Rorke, vice chair of the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA); and Carlos Unamunzaga, founder and CEO of Fitoplancton Marino.

Read the article HERE​ for the full story.

USA: LanzaTech accelerate proprietary protein commercialization

Biotech company LanzaTech is making strides in global microbial fermentation protein production with the launch of its proprietary LanzaTech Nutritional Protein (LNP), in collaboration with organizations like the U.S. Navy to accelerate commercialization.

LanzaTech’s gas fermentation process uses CO2 as feedstock from industrial emissions or seawater, “avoiding the need for sugar- or crop-based inputs,” which can compete with food ingredients and potentially increase costs, Zara Summers, chief science officer at LanzaTech, told FoodNavigator-USA​.

The company uses its own bioreactor technology at an industrial scale rather than relying on organic growth and batch processing as seen in “various mycelial production pathways,” she said.

LanzaTech’s “production method can be scaled more efficiently and allows for continuous fermentation, reducing the environmental footprint and potentially lowering production costs as facilities scale up,” Summers said. The company projects a production of LNP at 80 metric tons a day. For instance, producing 0.5 metric tons of LNP provides enough protein to meet the complete daily intake of around 9,000 people while using less than 10 acres of land and minimal water, according to the company.

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