Nektium will launch its organic elderberry extract as consumer demand for natural ingredients with antiviral properties continues to rise. The botanicals specialist is also releasing a more concentrated version of the product.

The global market for organic food and drink products is expected to expand at a CAGR of 1 percent per year, reaching a value of $220 billion by 2024, while the popularity of organic supplements is also on the rise.

Alongside this, demand for elderberry has been growing since the start of the pandemic, with consumers increasingly seeking natural ingredients that have a positive immune effect. Elderberries contain a high concentration of active ingredients, including phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins, which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and ease flu-like symptoms.

To meet the demand for more concentrated extracts, Nektium is now adding a new grade of its elderberry line, containing 10 percent anthocyanins. The 10 percent variant will join the existing 6 percent grade in the company’s portfolio, which will now also be available in organic form for the first time. Nektium’s elderberry portfolio comprises ingredients made from Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra), which has been scientifically proven to treat upper respiratory symptoms effectively.

Thomas Adler, Chief Business Officer at Nektium, said: “Demand for elderberry rose significantly when the pandemic hit, and it became a top-selling ingredient, having experienced a 150% jump in sales compared with 2019. We are proud that we have been able to develop our portfolio to offer our customers higher standardisations of anthocyanins as well as an organic variant, which we believe will tap into the increasing popularity of all things organic and ingredients with a proven positive immune effect.”

Nektium is also confident the company can meet the ongoing demand for elderberry, despite reports of global raw material shortages. 

Adler said: “The sudden and significant increase in demand for elderberry since the onset of Covid-19 led to a temporary shortage of raw materials for many producers and we have also seen a rise in inferior low-quality products hitting the market. At Nektium, we have a trusted source of raw materials because long-term partnerships are important to us. We also ensure our suppliers comply with the highest of standards. Therefore we are confident we can continue to supply our high-quality elderberry extract to meet the ongoing popularity of this ingredient.”

About Nektium

​Based on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, Nektium specialises in the supply of branded and generic botanical ingredients of the highest quality. The business was born out of two friends’ shared passion for the phytochemistry and pharmacology of botanicals and their applications in health and wellness. When it was first established in 1997, little was known about many of these botanical extracts, but the team at Nektium made it their mission to explore and unleash their potential health benefits. Today, the company is still defined by this solid foundation of dedicated relationships and its love for nature and research. Nektium’s flagship products are Zynamite^®, a proprietary mango leaf extract (Mangifera indica), Rhodiolife^®, a rhodiola plant extract (Rhodiola rosea) as well as Xanthigen^®, a proprietary botanical blend for weight management.