Despite the personal nature of the biome, it's a trend with “game-changing” potential, says Innova Market Insights

26 Sep 2019 --- Awareness of digestive health is moving into the mainstream, with a visible increase of fiber, prebiotics and probiotics in NPD, according to Innova Market Insights. New data shows that food and beverage launches tracked with a digestive or gut health claim rose 21 percent in 2018 in the Asia-Pacific region alone. “Functional foods were born and driven by gut health claims. The biome is getting more attention than ever and has the potential to be one of the next game-changing food trends,” Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights, tells NutritionInsight.

In terms of Asia-Pacific market penetration, the baby and toddler subcategory topped the list with digestive health claims used for over 24 percent of launches in 2018, ahead of sports nutrition with 16.5 percent, dairy with 6.6 percent and cereals with 3.7 percent, according to data from the market researcher. 

Among this momentous growth, however, Williams notes that R&D challenges remain due to the complicated and extremely personal nature of the science behind digestive health. Nevertheless, she does not believe digestive health awareness is a short-lived trend.

“It’s been 25 years and we’re still talking about it. Technology has the potential to drive this and industry will eventually go the route of personalized nutrition. As the science around the biome continues to develop, it seems there is the potential to find the perfect mix of foods and supplements to ‘feed’ our own personal biome to improve our health and wellbeing.”

On-trend ingredients are paving the path for NPD innovation in the digestive health space.Consumers are still mainly consuming fiber for digestive health, but newly discovered health benefits are driving applications as well. According to a consumer survey (2018) conducted by Innova Market Insights, 44 percent of US consumers are increasing their consumption of fiber, with 33 percent of UK consumers also doing so. In addition, a 21 percent average annual growth has been reported in new product launches carrying a fiber claim.

Emerging science on gut health has the potential to discover how our microbiome can improve multiple aspects of our health from mood, to weight loss and optimum nutrient uptake, says Williams. “As the science improves, I can see a day when we can feel the effects of good gut health in a more meaningful way. Then it will be a game changer,” she concludes. 

NPD boom
Taiyo’s soluble fiber ingredient Sunfiber has been clinically proven to aid digestive health. Sunfiber has mainly been featured in medical and beverage applications in the past. Now, however, Taiyo is featuring its plans to broaden this scope by combining the ingredient with other bioactives to target health concerns that go beyond digestion, the gut and regularity.

Industry is also quickly taking note of the key ingredients researchers indicate as beneficial for digestive health. Curcumin, chia seeds, coconut, matcha, baobab, avocado, kombucha, and turmeric have been increasingly incorporated into NPD. Dairy continues to be the key area for this space, accounting for 67 percent of Asia-Pacific launches featuring probiotic ingredients in 2018. Activity is rising in other areas as well, with the confectionery and snacks categories showing particular potential. 

Made with real fruits and nuts and infused with ingredients such as kombucha, matcha, collagen and turmeric, US-based Tyson Foods’ new line of refrigerated protein snacks is set to hit the market. The launch, under its new brand Pact, comes as consumer demand for functional foods and better-for-you options is growing, with the trends influencing the snacking sector as well. In the snack space, kombucha is visibly moving out of the specialty sector and into the mainstream. Half of the kombucha-featuring launches in the APAC market also highlighted a digestive or gut health claim in 2018. 

Besides their immune system-boosting properties, probiotics are also a well-established functional ingredient for digestion and continue to see rising levels of interest, with a 72 percent rise in food and drinks launches featuring probiotics in 2018. 

By Anni Schleicher