NPD in action: Pre- and probiotics

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.

“Storytelling: Winning with Words” leads Innova Market Insights’ Top Trends for 2020. As consumers are increasingly captivated by the stories behind their food and beverage products, ingredient benefits are often highlighted in global food and beverage launches, including supplements and nutritional products. Other key trends for 2020 include “The Plant-Based Revolution,” “The Sustain Domain,” “The Right Bite,” and “Tapping into Texture.”

Consumers are looking for innovative ways to take the benefits of a high-protein diet into their daily life. Food and beverage launches with whey protein, including supplements, experienced an average annual growth of +18 percent globally between 2014 and 2018. Target groups are now the generally active consumers rather than just athletes.

The health benefits of collagen are well established within the food industry and touch on sectors such as sports nutrition, mobility and the beauty-from-within space. Beyond supplements, functional collagen is increasingly applied across market categories such as confectionery and dairy products, with a growth of +23 percent globally between 2014 and 2018.