BGG expands production footprint and backs microalgae as social media drives unprecedented boom in natural wellness

Influencer-driven growth in natural wellness is prompting BGG World to broaden its production base and hedge against trade disruption, with microalgae bioproduction forming a core part of its expansion strategy

TikTok and Instagram are reshaping consumer behaviour around health and nutrition, and driving a surge in demand for natural supplements worldwide, according to China’s BGG World.

Jürgen Nelis, its chief executive, said influencers are reshaping global demand for wellness products at an unprecedented rate not seen since the outbreak of Covid-19.

Speaking in a studio interview with The European, he said more consumers than ever before are adopting daily preventive routines rather than waiting for symptoms, with social platforms pushing new supplement trends into the mainstream and influencing purchasing decisions at speed.

The United States and Asia now lead the market for natural health ingredients, followed by Europe, which is expanding at a steadier pace due to more restrictive health-claim rules and a more cautious approach to supplementation.

Nelis described the pandemic as the point at which natural wellness entered mass consumer culture. That initial phase has been followed by a sharper spike driven by social platforms, which he said are amplifying awareness and accelerating adoption.

“The market has developed significantly and that has come about because of the awareness of consumers about their own health and how they can support it without being treated for a disease,” he said.

“Social media and influencers, together with better access to ecommerce, have made a big difference.”

BGG World, founded in Beijing in 1995, is one of the world’s largest suppliers of natural ingredients, operating across Asia, Europe and the United States.

From its international headquarters in Switzerland, it has grown into a multinational group supplying plant and microalgae-derived actives used in supplements, functional foods and cosmetics.

Nelis also used the interview to outline its plans to expand its manufacturing footprint in additional regions and to scale microalgae-based bioproduction for ingredients such as astaxanthin.

The aim, he said, is to build production capacity in additional regions so the group is less exposed to geopolitical and trade disruptions. “On the long term our strategy will be to further hedge and further globalise the company,” he said. “We want to build manufacturing capabilities in different regions so we are more agile and less impacted.”

Microalgae cultivation, he added, remains central to that strategy. Single-cell organisms are grown in enclosed photobioreactors and stressed to produce high-value actives, including astaxanthin, which Nelis described as “one of the strongest antioxidants that exists” with production of roughly ten metric tonnes a year. 

The platform feeds a pipeline of ingredients for supplement, functional food and topical manufacturers, with product development beginning at end-user level. “It starts with the consumer,” he said.

Collaboration with research institutions in China, Japan and Switzerland supports the firm’s R&D work, together with clinical studies undertaken by contract research organisations.

Nelis said the outlook remains positive as preventive health, influencer culture and science-based nutrition continue to converge. “Our vision is clear,” he said. “We want to help people feel good, be healthy and powerful.”

Watch Jürgen Nelis’ full interview on The European’s YouTube channel.

READ MORE: ‘How BGG became the powerhouse behind some of the world’s biggest wellness brands‘. With operations across three continents, BGG produces plant and marine extracts that reach millions daily. Now, as demand for natural health solutions accelerates, the company is expanding its global presence while keeping science at its core, finds John E Kaye.

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