Innovation in food supplements
Innovation is our primary focus.
We take great pride in proposing the most effective and innovative food supplements on the market. We meticulously choose the best raw materials and packaging to precisely meet the needs of our clients.
Each year we boast the launch of over 200 new products for all our clients. .
We also have a choice of over 180 approved suppliers for raw materials and packaging, allowing us to rigorously meet the specification sheets of our clients, and simultaneously proposing relevant variations for each brand.
A Research & Development Department
attentive to innovations and clinical study results
Nutra Skills boasts a highly proficient Research and Development (R&D) team, composed of experienced scientists, all specialized in the formulation and manufacture of food supplements.
Our team choses the active ingredients depending on the desired claims and also defines the dose recommendations for optimum efficacy at the target price for each food supplement. Our scientists are abreast of all regulatory expertise as well as for the most suited choice of dosage forms.
Regarding the formula manufacturing process, we systematically undertake laboratory trials and a pilot batch for all new products. Next, there is the rigorous selection for the most suitable packaging depending on the dosage form chosen and your brand-specific marketing positioning. This phase relies heavily on trend monitoring and international innovations.
We remain informed of all sector-specific innovations, regarding both raw materials and packaging, to offer our clients the most competitive products on the market.
Raw material sourcing
Nutra Skills excels in finding the necessary balance in terms of quality, efficacy and sustainability of the resource used.
We thus undertake effective sourcing for the various ingredients and raw materials available on the market in France and abroad.
For a same ingredient, there can be several sources with identical effects on the body.
Our goal is to opt for the most appropriately blended components to provide first-rate efficacy.
Once the raw materials have been chosen, we also work on the various synergies which may interact between the components of the same food supplement.
Packaging selection
Innovation in food supplements is not just about ingredients. It’s also about keeping up-to-date with the most suitable and sustainable packaging on the market.
We regularly test the invariably changing market trends for bottles, lids and container formats which mostly have a reduced carbon footprint, are more environmentally friendly, and guarantee product protection. We favor plant-based and/or recyclable materials to reduce the plastic content in our packaging.
For example, since 2010, we were way ahead of our competitors as we proposed our clients an eco-friendly pill container made of:
97% of PLA (polylactic acid),a material which can be 100% recycled, and is 99.5% plant-based.
It is made of GMO-free corn starch with totally natural coloring.
We work in partnership with our major suppliers who know us well and never hesitate to suggest the latest market innovations.
A formulation as faithful as possible to clinical studies and scientific findings.
Our close supplier relations allow us to select choice proven ingredients (having undergone clinical studies) and to find new uses for them.
With these ingredients, we can create innovative and original product concepts.
For example we have:
In 2016 at Vitafoods we proposed the CHOC’ORGANIC PROTEINS drink
Product presentation (archive):
“CHOC’ORGANIC PROTEINS are organic plant proteins with no additives or preservatives. This product is suitable for both athletes and those following special diets: vegetarians, vegan, lactose-intolerant. It’s practical to carry around and easy to use: simply pour water into the bottle, shake, and enjoy its smooth chocolatey taste. Choc’organic proteins is the perfect answer to the growing demand from consumers for a natural and ORGANIC sports drink”
This product was chosen in the “French Innovation” awards organized by Business France. It was displayed at the French Innovation Corner at the French pavilion.
We also won the Vitafoods Visitor Prize for 2016.
Production innovation
This delicate assignment consists of adapting the new and innovative formulation to industrial production.
Let’s take the example of aromatherapy:
To facilitate our oral administration of essential oils, the R&D technical team had to work on the absorption technique in a tablet. Aromatherapy as solids!
Yet another success!
Regulation restrictions
However, the ingredients of all food supplements are subject to a declaration with the DGCCRF: French General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control. They undertake checks and establish the list of authorized substances as well as their maximum recommended allowance.
As for the ANSES: the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, it must regularly draw up reports regarding the substances present, any warning and/or recommendations in relation to food supplements.
In Europe, the statutes relating to food supplements is established by the Parliamentary Decree n°2006-352 of 20 March 2006. As for the European Commission, it also draws up a list of health claims that can be mentioned on the products.
Nutra Skills prides itself in investing significant human and technical resources in both the formulation and industrial R&D teams, to confidently promise our clients the most effective and unique products on the market.
To complete our full-service offer, we undertake raw material sourcing, packaging selection as well as offering our industrial know-how in order to promptly adapt to our client-specific needs.