Your eyes, okay?
This article is from WeChat public account: FBIF Food & Beverage Innovation (ID: FoodInnovation), author Pan, editor Bobo, authorized to reprint.
“Protect vision for the revolution, prevent myopia, eye exercises begin now, close your eyes…”
The eye exercises we have done in those years, do you remember the acupuncture points in each section? As a standard during the class, eye exercises have been in China for 50 years, and what about the eye health of Chinese teenagers?
According to the “2018 China Children and Adolescents Myopia Survey Results” published by the National Health and Health Commission, the overall myopia rate of children and adolescents nationwide in 2018 was 53.6%. Among them, 14.5% for 6-year-old children, 36.0% for primary school students, 71.6% for junior high school students, and 81.0% for high school students. [1] The problem of myopia in children and adolescents is getting worse with age and academic aggravation.
In China, the number of patients with myopia has reached 600 million. It is estimated that by 2020, the total number of myopia in China will reach 700 million, accounting for 49% of the total population. [2]
The base of China’s myopia population is so large. At the same time, with the popularization of electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers, the population with excessive eyesight in China should not be underestimated.
Image source: Pixabay
The 44th China Internet Network Development Report released by China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) shows that as of June this year, the number of Chinese netizens reached 854 million, and the number of mobile Internet users reached 847 million.
From students, white-collar workers, micro-businesses, mobile phone parties, Internet practitioners, etc., the average time facing electronic devices every day is often more than 7 hours. Dry eyes, sore eyes, blurred vision and even decreased vision are common in work and daily life.
Innova Market Insights survey data shows that from 2012 to 2016, new products launched with eye health have increased by more than 70%, and the market is mainly distributed in North America, Western Europe and Asia. Population aging, workThe increase in the time of facing the screen of computers and mobile phones in life has accelerated the demand for eye health supplements. [3]
The market potential of China’s eye-protecting functional foods is self-evident in the face of increasing myopia, increasing dependence on electronic products and an aging population. But when it comes to eye-protecting functional foods, whether it is practitioners or consumers, after a moment of thinking, it is difficult to appear any iconic products in the brain.
The foods that focus on eye protection have not yet seen scale in the Chinese market, and there has been a gap between supply and demand.
How to develop this market with imbalance between supply and demand? Let’s look for clues to be excavated from the active ingredients of the eye.
1, The global eye care market continues to expand, and natural eye care ingredients are available
1, “eyes of the eye”, lutein & zeaxanthin
Lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids, have been used in the development of eye care products in recent years. According to the Innova data report, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of new product releases (including supplements) based on lutein and zeaxanthin was 25% and 18%, respectively, from 2012 to 2016; It is estimated that between 2017 and 2020, the compound annual growth rate of lutein will reach 6.3%, and the market size will exceed 350 million US dollars. [3]
The zeaxanthin and lutein are present in various tissues of the body, with the most prominent eye tissue. The combination of the two can filter harmful blue light, protect the eyes from oxidative stress and free radical damage, reduce macular damage, maintain normal vision of the retina, prevent age-related macular degeneration, and prevent retinitis pigmentosa. [4]
In addition, lutein also plays a positive role in protecting vision, delaying myopia, and relieving visual fatigue. However, the human body cannot synthesize lutein by itself and must be supplemented by food. In 2008, the National Health and Wellness Committee approved lutein ester from marigold flower as a new resource food ingredient, which can be used in food production. It is recommended to use less than or equal to 12 mg per day.
2, a good partner for retinol, carotenoids
Beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid, is a precursor of vitamin A. In the absence of beta-carotene, the synthesis of vitamin A is blocked. Vitamin A, retinol, is an essential nutrient for the body to protect the eyes and maintain normal visual function in the dark. [3]
Carotenoids cannot be synthesized by the body itself and must be ingested by the outside world.
The Israeli company Lycored, which specializes in carotenoid product development, has developed a plant-derived blend of LycoinvisionTM, a three-category carotenoid extracted from marigold, tomato and rosemary as a major ingredient to help ease UV and high energy visible light effects, stable lutein and zeaxanthinThe transportation of the eye promotes the health of the retina and the macula.
3, super foods with the same medicine and food
Blackcurrant, black berry, blueberry, grape seed and other foods are rich in anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have antioxidant properties, help protect the retina from free radical damage, and have significant effects on pseudomyopia and dark vision. Its health care mechanism is to protect the microvessels of the eye, thereby promoting blood circulation in the eye, and at the same time speeding up the regeneration of rhodopsin and improving the ability of the eyes to adapt to the dark environment.
FANCL Bilberry supplement, active ingredients from European bilberry, blackcurrant, for eye fatigue
Image source: TAKASKI
Omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oil and algae are key components of infant brain and vision development and are mainly involved in the synthesis of retina.
As a homologous raw material for medicine and food, cassia seed contains cassia seed, cassia lactone, chrysophanol, and emodin methyl ether, which has protective effects on the optic nerve and can reduce intraocular pressure. It has cataract, glaucoma, conjunctivitis, etc. Mitigation. [3]
After a brief description of the eye care ingredients that can be used in food, we turn to consumers. What are the differences in the specific needs of eye health for consumers of different ages?
Three, Starting from the subdivided population, what are the Chinese eye-protecting foods and what is missing?
1. Children and adolescents are the first to prevent myopia
The latest report of the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that the incidence of myopia in urban youth in China is 67%. [5] In addition to the increase in academic pressure and the impact of electronic devices, inadequate supplementation of visual developmental nutrition is also an important factor affecting adolescents’ vision.
As the use of electronic products ages, eye health has become a growing concern for many parents. Children’s eye-protecting functional dairy products have become an eye-protecting functional food category that Chinese companies have long been involved in.
In June 2017, Aussie Dairy Goat Milk Formula brand Jiabeite launched a children’s nutritional formula goat milk powder. The product features a unique “Crystal Factor” that provides multiple nutrients for vision development. In collaboration with lutein, DHA, taurine, and vitamin A, the crystalline factor helps reduce blue light damage, build the retina, repair the optic nerve, and maintain dark vision. [6]This product is used as a goat milk powder for children over 36 months in the domestic market.The pioneers of the class mainly aim at the nutritional malnutrition and low immunity that the school-age children appear after entering kindergarten, and meet the individualized nutritional needs of the corresponding population.
Image source: Jiabeite official website
In May of this year, Wahaha launched a lactic acid bacteria drink containing a lutein and taurine to provide nutrients to the eyes. The target audience is children and adolescents aged 7-18.
There is no such thing as a new hope that the dairy industry is aiming at the functional low-temperature milk field. In September this year, the eyes care eye-raising juvenile milk was launched. It is reported that this milk is the joint research result of New Hope Dairy and Chengdu Traditional Chinese Medicine Day Yinhai Eye Hospital. It chooses the new hopeful self-owned modern dairy milk source and adds eye care materials such as medlar, lutein ester, alfalfa and peony seed oil. At the same time, lactose hydrolysis technology is used to alleviate lactose intolerance. [7] This product focuses on a group of 3-12 year olds and is packaged in a self-supporting bag that can be screwed for convenient drinking and carrying.
Image Source: New Hope Dairy Public Number
2, office workers, mobile party, it is imperative to ease visual fatigue
Office workers surrounded by electronic products are exposed to high-energy blue light such as mobile phones and computers for a long time, which is prone to eye problems such as eye fatigue, dry itching, soreness, and digital visual syndrome.
Bad blue light refers to blue light having a relatively high energy with a wavelength between 400 nm and 450 nm. Due to the short wavelength, the focus point falls to a position further forward from the center of the retina. If you want to see clearly, the eyeball will be in a state of tension for a long time, which will cause visual fatigue. Long-term visual fatigue can lead to deepening of myopia, diplopia, and inability to concentrate.
What kind of functional foods have food companies introduced in China for office workers, micro-businesses, Internet practitioners and other fatigue groups that have high dependence on electronic products?
At the end of 2014, Jiangzhong Group launched an eye-protecting plant drink, Blue Dragonfly.. The main raw materials are blueberries from Qingdao, Shandong Province, and sorghum from Ningxia. The two major raw materials have the nutrients of eyesight effect – anthocyanins and alfalfa polysaccharides. But blue 枸 drinks have now disappeared from the market.
In 2018, Wahaha and Zhongnan Group launched the eye-care health drink, Tianjingjing Fermented Milk, through the social retail model. According to the official website, this product is the first health food approved by the State Food and Drug Administration and has the function of “relieving visual fatigue”.
Eye Eyes Fermented Milk uses imported high-quality milk source, with whey protein, easy to digest and absorb. Functionally, the product relieves visual fatigue through functional ingredients such as lutein, vitamin A, zinc, and taurine. [8]
Wahaha Eyes Crystal Appreciation Edition Bottle Bottle
Image source: Wahaha Tianjing Jingqing official website
This summer, Australia’s Niping River Dairy has added the Chinese market, launched Ai Shi milk brewing milk, focusing on the eye-shaping market segment. The target group is students, white-collar workers, drivers, mobile phone parties, online games and other long-term eyes. This product uses Australian imported milk, added eye-protecting elements such as lutein ester and taurine, and is rich in vitamin AE combination. On August 16th, this product debuted on Taobao live broadcast, recommended by Li Xiang live broadcast, sold 30,000 boxes in 3 minutes. [9]
Image source: Australia Niping River Dairy official website
3, silver hair family, the hardest hit area with eye protection functional food shortage
The data shows that the number of elderly people in China will increase to 418 million by 2035, and the proportion of the total population will exceed 1/4. It will exceed 1/3 of the total population around 2050. [10]
Cataracts and glaucoma are often the most common problems in the eye health of the elderly, while age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is not recognized enough among consumers. In China, 4 million people with age-related macular degeneration in 2017 have become an important cause of eye health in the elderly.. [4]
The macular area is a pigmentary area in the posterior pole of the retina. It is called “macular” because it is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. With age, the macular pigment in the macular area will gradually decrease, and the unprotected macular area will be damaged by free radical oxidation, which will lead to macular degeneration.
The incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) increases with age. Through timely nutrition intervention, AMD can be killed in the cradle at an early stage. Otherwise, there is a high probability of disease, leading to serious vision damage or even blindness.
In the face of the increasing elderly population and the risk of age-related eye diseases, it is difficult to find foods for the eyes of the elderly in addition to health products. For the development of food for the prevention of pathological eye diseases and eye nutrition supplements in the silver-haired family, it is urgent for Chinese companies to put on the agenda.
In summary, although China’s eye-protecting functional foods are slightly different in the population, the pertinence based on the needs of different groups is still unclear, and the product categories are relatively single. The product development and market segmentation of eye-protecting functional foods is still in its infancy, and there are no phenomena-level products that are familiar and lead the market.
3. In the face of the single category, where is China’s eye-protecting functional food?
The eye-protecting functional foods currently sold in the Chinese market are concentrated in dairy products such as milk powder, milk, and fermented milk. Compared with foreign products with similar functions, Chinese manufacturers and brands can make more efforts in product category expansion and provide more product options, such as ready-to-drink beverages, gels, soft candy, chewing gum and so on.
The BeautiEyes low-calorie ready-to-drink beverage from the Thai brand Sappe Beauti Drink extracts lutein from sputum, with multivitamins, niacin and folic acid. It has the functions of curing vision, preventing macular degeneration and nourishing the retina.
Image Source: Sappe’s official website
Takizawa Kampo, a Japanese herbal medicine and health food brand, launched a health-care soft drink called 枸杞クリア・アイ, which is beneficial to eye health in June this year. The active ingredients of eye protection come from organic medlar, chrysanthemum, hawthorn and longan. Helps alleviate visual fatigue.
Image source: Takizawa Kampo official website
Japan UHA Taste Sugar has developed a soft candy-type nutritional supplement, claiming that it can take 10 mg of lutein when eating two, which can supplement nutrition for people who often look at electronic products and have long-term exposure to blue light.
Image source: Pinghetang
For Chinese companies, in the process of research and development and promotion of eye health foods, it is necessary to consider further satisfying consumers’ needs for ready-to-drink, convenient carrying, and fun sharing, and deepen eye-protecting foods in the minds of consumers. impression.
Ocular health is closely related to the lifeline of each person from birth to old age. The active ingredients of eye protection have a common understanding in the international market. Foods are more pleasant and relaxed than medicines. Foods focus on function. The general trend of sex has been implemented.
The opportunity to lead the eye-protection food industry is in front of every practitioner.
Reference source:
[1] “The overall myopia rate of children and adolescents is 53.6%, and China will carry out more targeted interventions for myopia”, April 30, 2019, People’s Daily
[2] “It is estimated that the total number of myopia in China will reach 700 million in 2020, and the prevention and control of “anti-heavier in governance””, August 4, 2019, Yangguang Network
[3] “Ophthalmology is a new outlet, these eye-protection ingredients will be popular all over the world”, September 5, 2018, Food Business Network
[4] “Three major nutritional trends in the world: health for the elderly, innovation in dairy products, precision nutrition”, August 15, 2019, Health Raw Materials Online
[5] World Eye Day, October 10, 2019, Xinhuanet
[6] Jiabeite official website
[7] “Children’s dairy products aiming at eye protection, functional dairy products into small trends”, October 14, 2019, Dairy Finance
[8] Wahaha Tianyanjingqing official website
[9] “Li Xiang teamed up with Ai Shi milk for 3 minutes to sell 30,000 boxes! “, August 17, 2019, Ai Shiyou”
[10] “China’s Aging Career in Endeavour”, National Office of the Aged Work Committee,National Aging Association Printed