CPG Giants Enter Supplements Space

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As consumers turn increasingly to natural health options, a number of CPG giants have entered or expanded into the dietary supplements space, beginning in the past year with Nestle’s acquisition of leading non-GMO and organic supplement brand Garden of Life in December 2017. In April 2018, Procter & Gamble announced the purchase of Merck KGaA’s consumer health unit, adding vitamin brands including Seven Seas, Femibion and Neurobion to its supplement subsidiaries portfolio, which includes Metamucil and leading natural brand New Chapter, which Procter & Gamble acquired in 2012 (in July 2018, New Chapter cofounders Barbi and Paul Schulick announced their departure from the company). Natural immune support supplement maker Zarbee’s Naturals was purchased in July 2018, marking Johnson & Johnson’s first foray into dietary supplements. In June 2018, General Mills led a $12 million investment round in Boulder, CO-based functional beverage maker GoodBelly. California-based Clorox Company, known around the world for its laundry bleach, purchased Objective Wellness in March 2018, adding such brands as NeoCell, Rainbow Light, Blessed Herbs and Stop Aging Now to its portfolio. To top off this most recent spate of investments and acquisitions, Japanese beer maker Kirin, together with multi-portfolio firm Mitsui, announced in July 2018 that each had purchased 30% of supplement maker Thorne Research’s stock. Thorne Research is a leading dietary supplement brand specializing in the healthcare practitioner market.