Tapping into the supplements space in Australia

It's no surprise that consumers are increasingly worried about immunity.

Amidst fears of health concerns, sparked by the global COVID-19 pandemic^[1], sales of immunity supplements have soared.

Immunity searches on the internet tripled within the first two months of the COVID-19 outbreak, as people look for products that may help boost immunity for themselves and their family.

Fonterra is ready to expand into this market, having landed a probiotics supply agreement with GMP Pharmaceuticals - the largest third-party supplements manufacturer in Australasia.

Throughout the next 12 months, Fonterra will supply NZMP SureStart™ probiotics, made at Fonterra's Microbial Fermentation Unit in Palmerston North, for all GMP's paediatrics products for young children and pregnant women in Australia.

"This partnership is the result of a trans-Tasman collaboration across the business.  It gives us access to the paediatric supplements market in Australia and ties in with our strategy about adding value in the paediatric space.

"We're growing our capability in this space and building awareness of the health benefits of probiotics generally."

Fabrizio says the supplements market is an important area of expansion for Fonterra.

"It's a sector with good opportunity for growth, with the global probiotic market estimated to be worth between US$40-60 billion", says Fabrizio.