The rise of social media and wealth of online resources has made parents more conscious of their children’s health than ever before. Research suggests roughly half of Western parents give their children supplements, a trend partially driven by the ultra-processed food (UPF) landscape in which children and adolescents in the UK and US currently consum around two thirds of their daily calories from UPFs.
As a result, parents are increasingly turning to supplements and fortified foods to support their children’s nutrition. However, new research from Friesland Campina Ingredients suggests that they are looking for more than generalized health solutions. Instead, they want convenient, minimally processed and scientifically credible supplements that target specific health concerns.
The qualitative research, which involved 150 parents across 11 countries and four continents, revealed that immunity, brain health, gut health and emotional well-being are top concerns for parents. Immunity ranks in the top three in every country studied.
Nadia Ustinova, global innovation marketing manager for early life nutrition at FrieslandCampina Ingredients, highlighted that the most interesting insight was not which health areas are in high demand but that parents increasingly have non-negotiables for products.
“Parents now expect immune support as standard—it’s no longer a ‘nice-to-have’, so brands will need credible scientific evidence and strong differentiation to stand out,” she said. “Similarly, they are increasingly seeking products to support gut health, but claims around supporting digestion are seen as the minimum requirement. They want to know that a gut health product will support multiple areas of their child’s health.
“They also want these benefits communicated in ways that are tangible and easy to understand; they won’t settle for vague claims or benefits that don’t have a meaningful impact on their child’s health and everyday life.”
Convenience drives format choice
Children’s multivitamin supplements first came to market in the 1960s after Miles Laboratory, the company behind the One-a-Day vitamin, spotted a white space opportunity.
With the adult multivitamin industry booming following the Second World War, the company launched Chocks, a fruit-flavored chewable tablet designed to make up for children’s poor appetites.
As chewable vitamins began to rise in popularity, Miles Laboratory sought to differentiate itself further, partnering with American animated sitcom The Flintstones in 1968. The character-shaped, fruit-flavored tablets became a household item in the United States, with similar concepts cropping up in Europe and the rest of the world not long after.
It was not until the early 1990s that German manufacturer Amapharm revolutionized the market with the invention of the world’s first vitamin gummy. Gummies have been a staple of the kids’ supplement market ever since, dominating Western countries in particular.
Data from market insights firm SPINS shows that children’s supplement sales across natural, MULO, convenience and Amazon channels totalled $1.29 billion in the United States between July 2025 and July 2026, growing by 2.8% year over year. Gummies accounted for the largest market share, totaling $581 million, followed by liquids ($252 million), chewable tablets ($91 million), powders ($54 million) and tablets ($54 million).
This aligns with data from Friesland Campina Ingredients, which found that both gummies and ready-to-drink formats are popular with parents because of their convenience. Nevertheless, they expressed concerns about sugar levels in both these formats, with low or no sugar formats emerging as the preferred choice.
“[Parents] are concerned about the sugar content of some foods and supplements, but gummies offer a level of convenience that is hard to match,” Ustinova said. “They’re familiar, they taste good, and they feel like a treat, which counts for a lot when you’re trying to get something beneficial into a reluctant toddler or a distracted pre-teen.
“What this tells us is that parents are balancing expectations with what works in everyday life. They may actively seek out healthier formulations, but the product also has to be convenient and something their child will actually enjoy.”
While gummies remain the anchor of the market, growth is showing up in several smaller formats, such as tinctures (+81.7%), lozenges (+44.7%), sprays (+31.6%) and capsules (+15.9%).
This aligns with FCI’s report, which found that parents consistently expressed a preference for small, convenient solutions, particularly products that combine multiple ingredients to address multiple health concerns in a single product.
“Parents don’t want a cupboard full of single-purpose supplements; they want products they trust to address several concerns at once, and it goes without saying that these must be in a format their child will actually take,” Ustinova said. “The strongest whitespace sits when all these needs come together: Products that combine credible science, multiple benefits and everyday practicality, while making it easy for parents to understand what they do and why they matter.”
The health priorities shaping demand
Immunity has remained a key consumer health concern since the COVID-19 pandemic, and demand for immune support products continues to influence the children’s supplement market today.
SPINS data shows that immunity and cold and flu were both in the top five performing product categories last year, generating a total of $170 million in sales. At the ingredient level, elderberry, vitamin D and ivy leaf were the top performing immunity ingredients, generating $51 million, $37 million and $22 million in sales, respectively.
Bee propolis—a sticky, resinous compound made by bees which is often used to help heal cold cores, soothe minor wounds and support oral health—was one of the fastest growing ingredients, with sales up by 56% compared to one year ago.
Other top performing categories in the U.S. kids supplement market include digestive health ($188 million) and sleep ($157 million), with cognitive health ranking eighth with $30 million in sales, growing 10% year over year. This is reflected in ingredient level data too, with melatonin the top performing ingredient after multivitamins ($144 million) followed by probiotics ($132 million).
FCI’s report suggests these trends are consistent globally. Immunity has emerged as the top health concern among parents, followed by brain health, gut health and emotional well-being. Regarding the language used on products addressing these claims, FCI found that simple, accessible terminology resonates most with parents. Terms such as “learning”, “focus” and “memory” are preferred to “cognition”, while “gut health” is more appealing than references to pre- and probiotics.
The report also identified eye health as an emerging trend. China stood out as the most developed market for ocular health, but parents in other regions are beginning to catch on, according to Ustinova.
“Parents across every market we researched raised concerns about device use, digital fatigue and eye strain,” she said. “Many connect that screen exposure with wider effects like poorer focus, disrupted sleep and lower performance at school. Their concerns therefore extend beyond vision alone. They are increasingly thinking about eye health in the context of children’s concentration, cognitive development and healthy daily routines—making the brain and eye space increasingly linked.”
Antioxidants, vitamins and minerals with benefits for eye health are therefore likely to perform well over the coming years, FCI predicts. This includes lutein and zeaxanthin, omega-3s, vitamins C and E and zinc.
A move towards purpose-driven purchasing
Ultimately, the data indicates that parents’ buying habits are changing, driving the category beyond some of its traditional foundations, according to Rahul Roy, senior retail insights manager at SPINS.
“Children’s supplements are becoming less one-size-fits-all,” he said. “There is more opportunity to address different needs as children age, from foundational nutrition and immunity to cognition, mood and other areas of everyday wellness. For brands, that means being clear about who the product is for, what need it supports and how it fits into a child’s routine, making it easier for parents to shop.
“The opportunity is less about simply launching another children’s supplement and more about making it clear who the product is for, what need it supports and why that ingredient or format makes sense for that consumer.”
On the ground, brands are adjusting their approach to product formulation and marketing. UK-based supplement brand Tonic Health, for example, has differentiated itself by offering clean label, sugar- and additive-free gummies targeting relaxation and sleep, gut health and immunity.
Founder Sunna Van Kampen said these products reflect parents’ desires for supplements that address specific needs and enable consistent routines to be built through the gummy format.
“Parents are definitely asking more questions than they used to,” he said. “A few years ago, people would often just pick up whatever was on offer or which packet had the latest cartoon character on the front, but now parents are turning the pack over and reading the ingredients labels to see what’s actually in each product. They’re much more aware of the hidden sugars, sweeteners and added junk, like gums and preservatives, that some brands package up as ‘health’.”
Devyani Chaturvedi, senior nutrition research scientist at children’s supplement brand SmartyPants, said the picture is similar in the United States, where parents increasingly expect products to deliver targeted nutrition backed by scientific research while fitting seamlessly into daily routines.
In essence, while taste and convenience remain important, parents are increasingly evaluating what is inside the bottle. They want to understand why specific nutrients are included and how a formulation was intentionally designed to support their child’s development.
“We’re seeing strong interest in products that offer clear nutritional benefits in areas parents care deeply about, particularly supporting growing children during important stages of development,” Chaturvedi said. “Parents are also seeking greater transparency around ingredients, nutrient levels, quality standards and the science behind a formulation.”
She added that parents now want to understand how nutrients work together and why specific ingredients were selected, creating opportunities for brands that can provide clear guidance on the rationale behind their formulations, including the choice of nutrient forms and amounts.
Although parents want to feel confident in their purchasing decisions, they do not necessarily want greater complexity. Brands and retailers that can think beyond simply removing ingredients and meeting clean-label expectations, and instead translate science into clear, practical benefits, will be best positioned to meet this need, Chaturvedi said.
Van Kampen agreed, adding that as the market grows and becomes more crowded, clarity and simplicity are likely to prevail.
“Brands should be thinking about making sure their products deliver genuinely meaningful levels of nutrients and give parents confidence they’re buying something that genuinely supports their child’s health,” he said. “I think that brands who want to do well over the next few years should focus on making things simple, with clear and transparent formulations with the right doses, ingredients people recognize and trust, and being honest about what’s actually in their products.”
