They show up at trade expositions and in trade magazines. They garner your attention through word of mouth from vendors or R&D and marketing coworkers—or perhaps in competitors' products. Whichever way a new ingredient is marketed, its path to commercialization is paved with research, intellectual property (IP) and regulatory challenges.
An overworked adage has it that new products are the lifeblood of a company. For recently launched dietary supplements, beverages and other functional foods, their newness often is based on a medicinal or nutritional component. Identifying and turning an emerging ingredient into a strategic business advantage is a challenge in itself. Insights into the origins of such key ingredients provide clues into how a manufacturer of consumer products can achieve this goal.