U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
March 1999

Section 6
Dietary Supplement Industry Data and Projections

Because the DS industry comprises a large number of diverse products, industry data must be compiled from a variety of sources. In this section, we present industry data as compiled from secondary data sources and discuss projections and predictions for the industry.

6.1  DS Industry Data

Industry data are useful in characterizing baseline supply and demand conditions in particular DS product markets. Compiling this information is the necessary first step in conducting an economic impact analysis of a particular regulation. Because the industry comprises such a large number of diverse products, providing detailed statistics on each product market is beyond the scope of this report. Instead, we provide aggregate industry data and describe our procedures for constructing these data.

6.1.1  Domestic Industry Data

The most complete and frequently reported industry data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census is reported at the 4-digit SIC level. After examining the descriptions of each SIC code to determine which contain DS products, RTI compiled the list of SIC codes in Table 6-1. In addition, the corresponding North American Industry Classification Scheme (NAICS) codes are provided as well.

Of the products listed in Table 6-1, some are solely DS products and others are used or manufactured by other industries as well. For example, the tea products in SIC 2099 include all teas in addition to those that are considered DS products. SIC codes 2833 and 2834 contain products that could be considered, depending on use and labeling, either DS products or pharmaceuticals (over the counter or prescription). SIC code 2075 contains all soybean products in addition to protein supplements. SIC codes 2819, 2869, and 2899 contain chemicals that are used in a wide variety of industries in addition to the DS industry.

Some value of shipments data are available for 5- and 7-digit SIC codes that are predominately DS products. These data are provided for SIC codes 2833 and 2834 for 1996 in Table 6-2. However, many DS products are most likely contained in the codes for products "not stated by kind."

Table 6-1. SIC Codes for Dietary Supplements, Included Dietary Supplement Products, and NAICS Codes for Dietary Supplements

SIC	SIC Description	Included Dietary Supplement Products	NAICS	NAICS Description
2075	Soybean Oil Mills	lectithin, soybean soybean protein concentrates soybean protein isolates	311222	Soybean Processing
2099	Food Preparations, Not Elsewhere Classified	tea	311920	Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
2819	Industrial Inorganic Chemicals, Not Elsewhere Classified	aluminum calcium chromium copper iodine iron magnesium nickel phosphorus potassium sulfur zinc	325188	All other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing
2833	Medicinal Chemicals and Botanical Products	adrenal derivatives agar-agar, ground alkaloids and salts botanical products, medicinal: ground, graded, and milled endocrine products fish liver oils, refined and concentrated for medicinal use gland derivatives: bulk, uncompounded glycosides herb grinding, grading, and milling hormones and derivatives kelp plants oils, vegetable and animal: medicinal grade, refined and concentrated ox bile salts and derivatives: bulk, uncompounded pituitary gland derivatives: bulk, uncompounded theobromine vegetable gelatin (agar-agar) vitamins, natural and synthetic: bulk, uncompounded ephedrine and derivatives	325411 325412	Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing
2834	Pharmaceutical Preparations	botanical extracts: powdered, pilular, solid, and fluid hormone preparations, except diagnostics vitamin preparations	325412	Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing
2869	Industrial Organic Chemicals, Not Elsewhere Classified	enzymes fatty acids potassium solvents (used in extraction) stearic acid tannic acid tartaric acid	325199	All other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing
2899	Chemicals and Chemical Preparations, Not Elsewhere Classified	essential oils fatty acids: margaric, oleic, and stearic gelatin capsules	325188 325199	All other Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing All other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "Standard Industrial Classification Search." <http://spider.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html>. As obtained on March 24, 1998. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. "1997 NAICS and 1987 SIC Correspondence Tables." <http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naicstab.htm>. As obtained on March 24, 1998.

Table 6-2. Detailed SIC Breakdown for SIC Codes 2833 and 2834, 1996

SIC Codes: 5 and 7 Digit	Description	1996 Value of Shipments ($ million)a
2833 Medicinals and Botanicals
28333	Other medicinal chemicals and botanical products, in bulk, not elsewhere contained	1,586.4
2833315	Alkaloids, including opium and nicotine	NA
2833318	Other botanical drugs, including glycosides and ginseng extract	NA
2833323	Vitamin C	NA
2833325	Vitamin E	NA
2833326	Other naturally occurring vitamins	NA
2833344	Drugs of animal origin, including hormones, dried glands, organs, and tissues and extractions thereof	NA
2833300	Other medicinal chemicals and botanical products, in bulk, not elsewhere contained, not stated by kind	NA
28330	Medicinals and botanicals, not stated by kind	226.6
2834 Pharmaceutical Preparations
28347	Vitamin, nutrient, and hematinic preparations, for human use	4,811.6
2834711	Multivitamins, plain and with minerals (except B complex vitamins and fish livers oils)	1,154.4
2834713	Pediatric vitamin preparations (drops, suspensions, and chewable tablets)	91.8
2834714	Prenatal vitamin preparations	30.0
2834715	B complex preparations	104.4
2834717	Fluoride preparations	1.7
2834719	All other vitamin preparations	616.7
2834721	Fish liver oils	11.8
2834731	Nutrients, excluding therapeutic dietary foods and infant formulas	261.2
2834741	Tonics and alternatives	19.9
2834751	Hematinics, with B12, oral	15.4
2834755	Other hematinics, oral	24.6
2834761	Hospital solutions	1,470.3
2834798	Other vitamin, nutrient, and hematinic preparations, for human use	477.6
28340	Pharmaceutical preparations, not stated by kind	652.9
a Value of shipments data for all of SIC 2833 and for SIC 28340 at the 7-digit level are available only in census years. Thus, the most recently available data were collected for 1992 and are not reported here. NA = not available Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census. February 1998. "1996 Annual Survey of Manufactures: Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries." M96(AS)-1.   U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census. May 1995. "1992 Census of Manufactures: Industry Series, Drugs." MC92-I-28C.   U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census. January 1998. "Current Industrial Reports: Pharmaceutical Preparations, Except Biologicals." MA28G(96)-1.

6.1.2  International Trade Data

Using 6-digit international codes, RTI compiled information on trade volumes for codes that contain DS products. The list of international codes used is provided in Table 6-3 along with the DS type to which we assigned each, their descriptions, and their corresponding SIC codes. Herbal and botanical extracts are combined with all herbals and botanicals because it is not possible to determine the form of the product based on the international codes. Concentrates, constituents, and metabolites are not specifically identified because they are forms of the products included elsewhere.

The products that are classified in the international codes in Table 6-3 include, in addition to dietary supplements, foods, drugs, and products with industrial uses. Thus, estimates of trade volumes and values based on these 6-digit codes may overstate the true volumes and values for DS products alone. In particular, vitamins include not only vitamins sold as DS products but vitamins used to fortify foods. Minerals include products that may be for industrial uses as well. Sulfur, for example, is sold as a dietary supplement, but most of its sales is likely for industrial uses. Products classified in herbals and botanicals include some products that may be sold as OTC or prescription drugs (e.g., ephedrine). Amino acids, proteins, and teas may be food products in addition to DS products.

Using the classifications in Table 6-3, we tabulated trade statistics as reported by the International Trade Commission. However, these trade values include all products for each code rather than DS products only. In Table 6-4, import values for 1997 are listed by DS product type. Within each DS product type, the top 10 countries from which the United States imports (by import values) are listed individually. In Table 6-5, export values for 1997 are listed as well. Again, within each DS product type, the top 10 countries to which the United States exports (by export values) are listed individually.

6.2  DS Industry Projections

Although some trade publications cite the opinion that the DS industry is beginning to mature, high growth rates are still predicted for the foreseeable future. In the recent past, some have estimated that industry sales have been growing at a rate of 20 to 30 percent a year. The Nutrition Business Journal is predicting an average growth rate of 10 to 14 percent per year to the year 2000 across all DS product types (Nutrition Business International, September 1998). Within individual product categories, it is predicting 16 to 18 percent growth rates for herbals and

Table 6-3. International Codes by Dietary Supplement Type

Dietary Supplement Type	International Code	Description	SICa Code
Amino acids	292241	Lysine and its esters; salts thereof	2833
Amino acids	292249	Amino acids and their esters, not containing more than one oxygen function, and salts, nesoi	2869
Amino acids	350790	Enzymes and prepared enzymes, nesoi	2869
Animal extracts	051000	Ambergris castoreum civet and musk; cantharides; bile; glands and other animal products for use in pharmaceutical products; fresh, frozen, etc.	2011
Animal extracts	150410	Fish-liver oils and their fractions, whether or not refined but not chemically modified	NA
Animal extracts	150420	Fish fats and oils and their fractions	2077
Animal extracts	150430	Fats and oils and their fraction of marine mammals, whether or not refined but not chemically modified	2077
Animal extracts	300110	Glands and other organs, dried, whether or not powdered	NA
Animal extracts	300120	Extracts of glands or other organs or of their secretions	2833
Animal extracts	300190	Heparin and its salts; other human or animal substances prepared for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, not elsewhere specified or included	2833
Herbals and botanicals	070320	Garlic, fresh or chilled	161
Herbals and botanicals	091010	Ginger	2099
Herbals and botanicals	091020	Saffron	2099
Herbals and botanicals	091030	Tumeric (curcuma)	2099
Herbals and botanicals	121120	Ginseng roots, fresh or dried, whether or not cut, crushed, or powdered	831
Herbals and botanicals	121190	Plants and parts of plants (including seeds and fruits) used primarily in perfumery, pharmacy, or for insecticides, etc., fresh or dried, etc., nesoi	NA
Herbals and botanicals	121220	Seaweeds and other algae, fresh or dried, whether or not ground	919
Herbals and botanicals	130231	Agar-agar	2833
Herbals and botanicals	293940	Ephedrines and their salts	2833
Herbals and botanicals	293942	Pseudoephedrine and their salts	2833
Herbals and botanicals	293949	Ephedrines and their salts, nesoi	2833
Herbals and botanicals	330124	Essential oils of peppermint (mentha piperita)	2899
Minerals	280120	Iodine	2819
Minerals	280130	Fluorine; bromine	2819
Minerals	280200	Sulfur, sublimed or precipitated; collodial sulfur	2819
Minerals	280450	Boron; tellurium	2819
Minerals	280470	Phosphorus	2819
Minerals	280490	Selenium	3339
Minerals	280521	Calcium	2819
Minerals	281000	Oxides of boron; boric acids	2819
Minerals	281122	Silicon dioxide	2819
Minerals	281610	Magnesium hydroxide and magnesium peroxide	2819
Minerals	282530	Vanadium oxides and hydroxides	2819
Minerals	282560	Germanium oxides and zirconium dioxide	2819
Minerals	282611	Fluorides of ammonium or of sodium	2819
Minerals	282720	Calcium chloride	2819
Minerals	282760	Iodides and iodide oxides	2819
Minerals	283325	Copper sulfate	2819
Minerals	283326	Zinc sulfate	2819
Minerals	283522	Mono- or disodium phosphates	2819
Minerals	283524	Potassium phosphate	2819
Minerals	283640	potassium carbonates	2819
Minerals	283650	Calcium carbonate	2819
Minerals	284170	Molybdates (Molybdenum content)	2819
Other	293710	Pituitary (anterior) or similar hormones	2833
Other	293721	Adrenal cortical hormones and their derivatives	NA
Other	293729	Other adrenal cortical hormones and their derivatives, nesoi	2833
Other	293890	Glycosides, natural or reproduced by synthesis and their salts, ethers, esters and other derivatives, nesoi	2833
Other	300339	Medicaments containing hormones or other steroids used primarily as hormones, but not containing antibiotics	2834
Dietary Supplement Type	International Code	Description	SICa Code
Proteins	040410	Whey and modified whey, whether or not concentrated or containing added sweeteners	2023
Proteins	210610	Protein concentrates and textured protein substances	2075
Proteins	350210	Egg albumin	2015
Proteins	350211	Egg albumin, dried	NA
Proteins	350219	Egg albumin, other	NA
Proteins	350220	Milk albumin, including concentrates of two or more whey proteins	NA
Proteins	350290	Albumins, albuminates, and other albumin derivatives, nesoi	2869
Proteins	350400	Peptones and derivatives; other proteins and derivatives, nesoi; hide powder, chromed or not	2075
Teas	090210	Green tea (not fermented), nesoi, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3kg	2099
Teas	090220	Green tea (not fermented),nesoi	2099
Teas	090230	Black tea (fermented) and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3 kg (6.61 lb.)	2099
Teas	090240	Black tea (fermented) and other partly fermented tea, nesoi	2099
Teas	090300	Mate	2099
Teas	210120	Tea or mate extracts, essences, and concentrates and preparations with a basis of these products or with a basis of tea or mate	2099
Teas	210690	Food preparations, nesoi	2099
Vitamins	292310	Choline and its salts	2869
Vitamins	292320	Lecithins and other phosphoaminolipids	2869
Vitamins	293610	Provitamins, unmixed	2833
Vitamins	293621	Vitamins A and their derivatives, unmixed	2833
Vitamins	293622	Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and its derivatives	2833
Vitamins	293623	Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and its derivatives	2833
Vitamins	293624	D- or DL-pantothenic acid (vitamin B3 or vitamin B5) and its derivatives	2833
Vitamins	293625	Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine and related compounds with vitamin B6 activity) and its derivatives, unmixed	2833
Vitamins	293626	Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin and related compounds with vitamin B12 activity) and its derivatives	2833
Vitamins	293627	Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and its derivatives	2833
Vitamins	293628	Vitamin E (tocopherols and related compounds with vitamin E activity) and its derivatives, unmixed	2833
Vitamins	293629	Vitamins and their derivatives, unmixed, nesoi	2833
Vitamins	293690	Provitamins and vitamins (including natural concentrates) derivatives thereof used primarily as vitamins and intermixtures of the foregoing, nesoi	2833
Vitamins	300450	Medicaments in measured doses, etc., containing natural or synthetic vitamins and their derivatives	2834
NA = not available (SIC code was not contained in the Concordance file supplied by FDA). nesoi = not elsewhere specified or included a The SIC code descriptions are:        2099  Food Preparations, Not Elsewhere Classified  0161  Vegetables and Melons        2819  Industrial Inorganic Chemicals, Not 0831  Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products    Elsewhere Classified 0919  Miscellaneous Marine Products      2833  Medicinal Chemicals and Botanical Products 2011  Meat Packing Plants        2834  Pharmaceutical Preparations 2023  Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Products  2869  Industrial Organic Chemicals, Not Elsewhere 2075  Soybean Oil Mills            Classified 2077  Animal and Marine Fats and Oils      2899  Chemicals and Chemical Preparations, Not Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census. "Schedule B Keyword Search." <http.//www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/index.html>. As obtained on September 21, 1998. U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service. "Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S." <http:/www.customs.ustreas.gov/imp-exp/harmoniz/index.htm>. As obtained on September 21, 1998.

Table 6-4. Import Quantities and Dollar Values for Trade Codes that Contain Dietary Supplement Products, 1997

Dietary Supplement Type	Import Country	Import Value ($ million)a
Vitamins	France	109.09
	Japan	108.74
	Germany	91.18
	Switzerland	81.73
	China	81.15
	Canada	40.89
	Denmark	37.07
	United Kingdom	30.40
	Netherlands	7.57
	Australia	7.51
Total (top 10 countries)		595.33
Total (other countries)		54.04
Total (all countries)		649.37
Minerals	Japan	77.76
	Chile	66.53
	Germany	48.02
	Canada	39.88
	United Kingdom	35.87
	Mexico	23.15
	China	19.51
	South Africa	13.24
	Israel	11.61
	France	11.29
Total (top 10 countries)		346.86
Total (other countries)		50.16
Total (all countries)		397.02
Herbals and Botanicals	India	62.63
	China	55.32
	Germany	38.07
	Mexico	19.93
	Chile	16.64
	Japan	14.48
	Spain	14.38
	Korea	9.21
	Hong Kong	8.63
	Brazil	6.41
Total (top 10 countries)		245.70
Total (other countries)		72.48
Total (all countries)		318.18
Animal Extracts	Canada	49.50
	China	42.47
	Germany	22.34
	France	22.30
	Spain	11.63
	Norway	11.62
	Netherlands	4.62
	Sweden	3.67
	Argentina	3.02
	Denmark	2.69
Total (top 10 countries)		173.86
Total (other countries)		11.40
Total (all countries)		185.25
Amino Acids	Japan	76.12
	Denmark	55.03
	France	45.09
	Germany	43.59
	Korea	31.12
	United Kingdom	24.12
	Indonesia	19.79
	Ireland	16.16
	Netherlands	14.63
	Switzerland	14.27
Total (top 10 countries)		339.91
Total (other countries)		86.32
Total (all countries)		426.23
Proteins	New Zealand	23.99
	Canada	16.64
	Germany	8.03
	Australia	6.36
	United Kingdom	4.17
	France	3.67
	Denmark	3.63
	Mexico	3.39
	Japan	2.24
	Switzerland	1.64
Total (top 10 countries)		73.76
Total (other countries)		5.29
Total (all countries)		79.05
Other	Switzerland	178.29
	Korea	44.14
	Japan	26.49
	Netherlands	20.75
	France	19.78
	Sweden	8.35
	Germany	6.84
	China	6.55
	United Kingdom	2.90
	Argentina	2.80
Total (top 10 countries)		316.89
Total (other countries)		3.85
Total (all countries)		320.73
Teas	Canada	113.98
	Germany	50.88
	China	39.84
	Argentina	28.42
	India	23.32
	France	22.90
	Taiwan	19.45
	Thailand	17.91
	Japan	14.89
	United Kingdom	14.55
Total (top 10 countries)		346.13
Total (other countries)		120.90
Total (all countries)		467.03
a General import C.I.F. (cash insurance freight) values. Sources: U.S. International Trade Commission Trade Database. <http://205.197.120.17/scripts/user_set.asp>. As obtained June 1998.   U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census. "Schedule B Keyword Search." <http.//www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/index.html>. As obtained June 1998.   U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service. "Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S." <http:/www.customs.ustreas.gov/imp-exp/harmoniz/index.htm>. As obtained June 1998.

Table 6-5. Export Quantities and Dollar Values for Trade Codes that Contain Dietary Supplement Products, 1997

Dietary Supplement Type	Export Country	Value of Exports ($ million)a
Vitamins	Canada	116.80
	Japan	37.30
	Germany	30.47
	Netherlands	29.66
	Mexico	22.22
	United Kingdom	21.04
	France	19.90
	Poland	17.60
	Brazil	16.58
	Australia	14.73
Total (top 10 countries)		326.30
Total (other countries)		160.13
Total (all countries)		486.44
Minerals	Canada	66.41
	Mexico	46.68
	Japan	38.47
	Netherlands	22.94
	Germany	19.94
	Belgium	12.14
	France	11.99
	United Kingdom	11.25
	Korea	11.08
	Taiwan	9.35
Total (top 10 countries)		250.26
Total (other countries)		83.10
Total (all countries)		333.36
Herbals and Botanicals	Hong Kong	58.72
	Canada	22.54
	Mexico	17.55
	United Kingdom	14.92
	Japan	12.18
	Germany	11.51
	Taiwan	9.76
	Malaysia	7.92
	France	6.12
	Australia	6.10
Total (top 10 countries)		167.32
Total (other countries)		54.32
Total (all countries)		221.64
Amino Acids	Netherlands	117.82
	Canada	83.20
	Denmark	75.40
	Italy	58.26
	United Kingdom	58.19
	Mexico	41.29
	Hong Kong	29.58
	Spain	24.80
	Japan	23.37
	Brazil	21.90
Total (top 10 countries)		533.80
Total (other countries)		180.41
Total (all countries)		714.20
Animal Extracts	Germany	107.09
	United Kingdom	65.59
	Japan	40.46
	Netherlands	37.14
	Canada	16.36
	France	9.80
	Sweden	9.42
	Mexico	6.49
	Brazil	4.48
	Australia	4.24
Total (top 10 countries)		301.08
Total (other countries)		23.81
Total (all countries)		324.89
Proteins	Switzerland	310.56
	Japan	60.55
	Mexico	57.83
	Canada	47.16
	Belgium	42.99
	Netherlands	35.95
	Hong Kong	23.48
	Korea	22.88
	Taiwan	21.72
	Australia	17.71
Total (top 10 countries)		640.83
Total (other countries)		170.00
Total (all countries)		810.84
Other	France	54.57
	Belgium	44.07
	Canada	18.55
	Hong Kong	8.39
	Sweden	7.31
	United Kingdom	6.73
	Germany	6.40
	Japan	5.92
	Colombia	5.68
	Brazil	4.65
Total (top 10 countries)		162.26
Total (other countries)d		40.96
Total (all countries)		203.23
Teas	Canada	300.39
	Japan	192.76
	Hong Kong	131.61
	Mexico	65.74
	Malaysia	49.93
	Korea	48.45
	Taiwan	42.92
	Australia	38.06
	Saudi Arabia	34.10
	Bahamas	28.48
Total (top 10 countries)		932.45
Total (other countries)		567.15
Total (all countries)		1,499.60
aF.A.S. (free alongside) values. Sources: U.S. International Trade Commission Trade Database. <http://205.197.120.17/scripts/user_set.asp>. As obtained June 1998.   U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census. "Schedule B Keyword Search." <http.//www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/index.html>. As obtained June 1998.   U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service. "Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S." <http:/www.customs.ustreas.gov/imp-exp/harmoniz/index.htm>. As obtained June 1998.

botanicals, 6 to 7 percent growth rates for vitamins, 7 to 8 percent growth rates for minerals, 14 to 16 percent for specialty supplements, and 6 to 8 percent for sports supplements (Nutrition Business International, September 1998).

As new products are introduced, the range of DS products will continue to grow. In some cases, sales of individual products will grow as new research indicates the potential use or value of the product. In other cases, whole new types of products will be introduced in the market. In particular, the industry expects increased sales of herbal products used in Ayurvedic healing, which is a traditional medicine system originating in India (Nutrition Business International, September 1997a).

Over time, the industry is expected to continue consolidating into a smaller number of manufacturing firms (Nutrition Business International, July 1997a). The number of small businesses, in particular, is expected to decline due to economies of scale in production and the cost efficiencies that larger manufacturers obtain from volume purchase of inputs. In addition, small manufacturers may be unable to serve the larger retailers that are increasingly selling DS products.

Sales of DS products by mass merchandisers such as Costco and Kmart are increasing and are expected to continue to grow in the future (Nutrition Business International, October/November 1997a). In the past, mass merchandisers carried primarily the traditional vitamin and mineral products. However, they are starting to carry a broader range of DS products, including herbal products and products such as shark cartilage and melatonin. In addition, strong sales growth is expected through multilevel marketing firms (Nutrition Business International, November 1996).

Combined with the consolidation of manufacturing firms and the growth of sales by mass merchandisers is the importance of identifiable brand names (Nutrition Business International, December 1996a). Consumers seeking consistent quality of products migrate toward particular brand names. The larger manufacturing firms are more likely to have the resources needed to maintain consistent quality, the advertising budgets to establish brand name recognition, and the resources to serve a large enough portion of the market to maintain brand name recognition.

Because the industry has grown rapidly and is beginning to be considered a legitimate industry, it has attracted the attention of investors on Wall Street (Nutrition Business International, July 1997b). The Nutrition Business Journal and Natural Business both maintain stock market information on publicly traded DS product companies. The influx of outside investment dollars will allow the industry to continue to grow, both by adding new products and by serving additional markets.