Spotlight on Oral Care Innovations: The Healthy Bite 2021

Interview with Stefan Lander, Vice President Consumer Goods, Group Sales & Marketing
Omya

Mineral ingredient expert Omya will be hosting the third Healthy Bite international expert forum. What kind of event is it?

The virtual Healthy Bite will take place on 8th and 9th June 2021. Oral care is a vibrant market currently witnessing an enormous amount of innovation. With our event, we aim to build an oral care ingredients community with a global presence that connects industry experts, science and market intelligence. Despite the current pandemic situation, we think a platform for targeted and productive exchange is needed, and one which provides a great opportunity for product development.

What can visitors expect from this virtual exchange?

The webinars will be set up as sessions lasting 2-3 hours each day. The programme will include insights into current scientific research, as well as comprehensive talks about formulation trends for oral wellness and an overview of future-proof ingredients. We are happy that the event has attracted partners such as the Fraunhofer Institute, Zurich University, Ingredia, Honeywell, PQ Coperation and Pure Holding AG to name just a few.  An online information booth will round-off the presentations. Exact timings, the full agenda and registration options will be announced online at https://healthybite.omya.com.  Participation is free of charge.

You describe market developments as vibrant. Can you explain what this means?

Global consumer demand for products with natural, sustainable and eco-friendly credentials is at an all-time high. This includes the market for oral care applications, which offers great scope for innovation. Mintel research shows that 63% of US oral care users have already tried or are interested in trying natural products. In Vietnam, for example, more than half of adults have replaced a regular oral care product with a natural, organic one. And it’s evident that natural and ethical oral care NPD is growing. In the period 2016 to 2019, organic claims rose from 2% to 5%, while ethical/sustainable claims jumped from 3% to 10%. Interestingly, ‘vegan’ is also becoming a more and more popular attribute for oral care products - a new trend that European manufacturers should definitely bear in mind.[1]

How can manufacturers capitalise on these trends?

As consumer awareness of these issues continues to grow, there is huge scope for further product development. However, brands shouldn’t compromise on efficacy. As a result of Covid-19, for example, people have had limited access to dental services and are therefore striving to take better care of their own oral health. They are particularly interested in products that offer simultaneous help for multiple problems, including cavities and decay, plaque, discolouration, loss of enamel, gum disease and tooth sensitivity.^[2] In this respect, our natural minerals  allow manufacturers to address such concerns, and satisfy demand for natural, sustainable and eco-friendly products.

It sounds as if Omya is already ahead of the game

Omya has spent many years researching and developing natural minerals solutions. All our products are sustainably produced under clean and controlled manufacturing conditions for a low carbon footprint and minimum waste. For oral care applications specifically, our Omyadent® portfolio offers an array of natural tooth cleaning, whitening, remineralisation and desensitisation solutions for applications such as toothpaste, mouthwash and chewable tooth and mouth gums. As dental sensitivity is a problem for a growing number of people, we specifically offer Omyadent® 200 tailored to treat this subject. The products are obtained by a process of recrystallization to create new mineral compositions and structures with high porosity, and novel functionalities. The particles have a core of calcium carbonate and a shell of hydroxyapatite – the main constituent of tooth enamel. This shell gives the particles exceptional affinity with the surface of the teeth, which means better acid resistance and improved protection against attack from acidic food and drinks. Omyadent® 100 remineralises tooth enamel by repairing microscopic defects, resulting in a smoother and whiter tooth surface. 

To promote valuable synergistic effects in oral care applications, Omya also offers a variety of speciality ingredients including hydrocolloids/rheology modifiers, fluorides and sweeteners. We have furthermore developed Cosmospheres Activated Carbon Beads, which are made from mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose and carbon black, and can be added to toothpaste to help clean teeth in a totally natural and even vegan way.

It seems there are huge opportunities for innovative formulations?

Indeed, there are. The challenge for manufacturers is to find formulations and application forms that tick a lot of boxes simultaneously, including being natural, effective, beneficial for health and on-trend. This approach can only be realised with the best use of added value ingredients. Top quality raw materials plus ease of processing are also a prerequisite. To stay informed and ahead of the game, focused expert exchange is clearly helpful and that’s why we believe that our next Healthy Bite will again be a huge success for all involved.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://healthybite.omya.com

 Healthy Bite Conference Mascot @copyright Omya

[1] Mintel GNPD

[2] Lightspeed/Mintel. Base: US: 2,000 internet users aged 18+