NPD in action: Bone and joint health

With consumers on the hunt for performance-based products that help them reach their mental peak, nootropics open doors for improved mental capacity and overall brain performance. Product launches with nootropics are growing fast, reflected by an average annual growth of 70 percent in nootropic product launches (Global, CAGR 2015-2019).

With globalization at its peak and trade and businesses growing rapidly across the globe, it has become crucial that F&B ingredients are produced with protecting planet Earth in mind. Various industries like chocolate, coffee and dairy are incorporating sustainable sourcing within their production process to support the local people involved, as well as the environment.

While over one third of global food and beverage launches with probiotics and prebiotics tracked in 2019 were dairy products, innovation is expanding to more categories, such as snacks, confectionery and dairy alternatives. With consumers feeling more familiar with probiotics than prebiotics, according to an Innova Consumer Survey (2019), prebiotic claims are increasingly used in combination with probiotic claims.

As consumers seek new avenues for healthy living, manufacturers are turning toward functional beverages. From dairy-based to plant-based, drinks are being fortified with nutrients and minerals, such as vitamin D, fruit extracts and antibiotics, to help consumers improve on a daily basis. Functional and health waters will also play a part as people look to energize the hydration moment.

As consumers increasingly look to make dietary changes to benefit their health, food fortification – the process of adding vitamins and minerals to food – is an area of the nutrition space that is being explored by many different companies. Sports Nutrition, Dairy (including dairy alternatives) and Soft Drinks are the fastest growing categories with vitamin/mineral fortified products (Global, CAGR 2015-2019).

Consumers are turning toward more holistic choices to gain energy and alertness. Caffeine alternatives and caffeine-based ingredients that stimulate the brain while limiting the side effects of caffeine are seeing a boom in popularity. Adaptogens such as green tea, ginseng, maca, yerba mate and guarana are on the rise in this sector.