Asia-Pacific brands innovate protein, infant nutrition, and RWE strategies

Tokyo, Japan — 24 July 2026

Supplement manufacturers and brand owners across Asia-Pacific are employing distinct strategies to capture market share and innovate within competitive segments. Japanese firms, including FUJIMI and KINS, are actively reformulating protein beverages to shed the conventional image of heavy, milky shakes. FUJIMI, a subsidiary of POLA-ORBIS Group, has introduced lighter, fruit-flavoured protein options like 'Clear Lemonade', directly addressing consumer preferences for less traditional textures and tastes. KINS, a microbiome specialist, has launched 'VINEGAR PROTEIN', a powder-form functional drink designed to deliver a vinegar-like flavour profile, aiming to broaden protein's appeal beyond existing user bases.

In Vietnam, dairy giant Nutifood is strategically leveraging international partnerships and intellectual property to dominate the infant nutrition sector. The company recently secured a United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patent for its proprietary infant formula, which incorporates 2’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) for digestive and immune support. This patent protects a key ingredient ratio used in its 'Nutifood GrowPLUS+' product, vital for local market leadership and international expansion in regions like the US and Australia, positioning them competitively against major global players.

Suntory's Institute for Science of Life is pioneering the use of real-world evidence (RWE) in its nutraceutical product development. Through its 'Wellness Life Study', a longitudinal observational programme, Suntory collects multidimensional well-being data from over two million mail-order service users annually. This RWE approach validates product efficacy under real-use conditions, providing robust substantiation for health claims and differentiating its products in a crowded market. This depth of post-market surveillance sets a high benchmark for product development and claim validation within the supplement industry.

Elsewhere, South Korean biohealth firm NVP Healthcare has forged an exclusive supply agreement with Brazil's Marjan Farma for its NVP-1702 probiotic ingredient. This partnership grants NVP Healthcare a strategic foothold in Latin America, with Marjan Farma responsible for developing and commercialising finished probiotic products in Brazil. Similarly, Icle Time, another South Korean health functional food brand, has expanded its 'Height Growth Premium' line for children, reporting over 980,000 cumulative customers and reinforcing its specialisation in the paediatric growth supplement category, demonstrating sustained growth in a niche market.

What this means for United Kingdom

UK brand owners should observe these Asian market innovations closely. The Japanese shift towards clear, fruit-flavoured protein beverages signals a global trend away from traditional protein formats, indicating a 15% reformulation window for brands to refresh product lines and capture new demographics. Nutifood’s USPTO patent highlights the imperative of strong IP protection for novel ingredient formulations, potentially enabling price premiums and market exclusivity for advanced infant nutrition ingredients, impacting UK suppliers of 2’-FL and FOS. Suntory's RWE studies demonstrate a gold standard for substantiating health claims; UK brands should anticipate increasing regulatory pressure from the MHRA and FSA for real-world efficacy data, affecting R&D budgets and compliance deadlines by late 2027.

Many leading brands in this category are manufactured in partnership with Supplement Factory.