Page 7 - Malaysian Dietary Supplement Industry Status and Outlook Report 2019-2020 Preview

Foreword

President, Malaysian Dietary Supplement Association

With the increase in life expectancy and subsequent increase in lifestyle diseases,

nutraceuticals have emerged as a necessity for consumers, especially in developing markets
like Malaysia. Nutraceuticals are often defined as any food or part thereof that provide health

benefits, including prevention or treatment of disease. This definition has now broadened to
include functional ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and
probiotics etc.

The global nutraceutical market experienced a surge in growth, especially after the last

global recession. The high cost of healthcare coupled with the after-effects of recession,
especially in developing countries, drove consumers toward dietary supplements and
functional food and beverages, in a bid to remain healthy and avoid treatment costs.

The Malaysian Dietary Supplement Association (MADSA) is a non-government organisation

dedicated to the development of the dietary supplements industry in Malaysia through
engagements with its stakeholders—regulators, the media, consumer groups, consumers,
and other international organisations—that could possibly assist us in our mission.

The MADSA Industry Status and Outlook Report 2019-2020 is central to our engagement

efforts. It presents our industry in a strategic setting. It contains insightful data into the
market dynamics of dietary supplements in Malaysia, which provide a strong basis for

discussion with our stakeholders. Although there are certain gaps that we were unable to
cover in this report, we look forward to addressing them in subsequent editions, as our
intention with this report is to provide an ongoing assessment of the Malaysian dietary

supplements market on a timely basis.

A lot of time and effort have been put into the publishing of this report, and I thank all our
valuable members who have made this endeavour possible. I hope that this report will serve

as a valuable resource for our industry's stakeholders, as well as all who read it.

Mr. Muthu Shanmunghom

7