Key Trends in Functional Food Products

By Sarah Medina, Contributing Editor

Imagine taste, function and nutrition all rolled up into one product—that is exactly what consumers are demanding nowadays. Consumers don’t just want juice, they want natural juice that contains added vitamins and minerals. They have come to realize the effects of diet on health, and are actively seeking functional food products that enhance health beyond basic nutritional needs.

To help food manufacturers in their product-development endeavors, New Nutrition Business, a global nutrition business researcher and publisher, has identified 10 key functional products trends leading the market: 

1. Digestive health–mega-trend moves beyond tipping point. Topping the list is digestive health, which isn’t surprising given the marketing blitz featuring prebiotics, probiotics and fiber. Despite a recessionary climate, the cash register continues to get a workout as it registers escalating sales for products that help consumers achieve excellent digestive health. 
2. Intrinsic health benefit that’s also convenient. ‘Convenience’ ranked as the second most important market trend. We’ve seen many beverages claim to have health benefits or to provide some sort of functional value. But the major reason for its strong growth is likely its convenience to consumers. The ability to get healthy benefits in a conveniently sized beverage on-the-go is very appealing to consumers, particularly those with fast-paced lifestyles.
3. Feel the benefit. Functional foods and beverages that provide a benefit consumers can actually feel was ranked as the third most important functional food trend. When people can feel the benefit offered to them, they see that they are getting value for money. For example, consumers can quickly measure the benefit of fiber-fortified or probiotic products by experiencing improvements to their digestive health. 
4. Energy trend continues upward trajectory. The energy trend is ranked as the fourth most significant key trend. Energy drinks are typically attractive to young people, with the energy drink market in the U.S. worth over $6 billion and growing at 10% annually. Teenagers and young adults looking to study―or party―all night count on the shot of energy derived from popular energy drinks such as Red Bull. The market also attracts multitasking executives and time-pressed parents, and anyone looking for a caffeine- and vitamin-fueled kick to jumpstart a sleepy afternoon.
5. Fruit and superfruit drive functional food trend. The fifth most significant functional food trend focuses on fruits and superfruit, a marketing-derived term coined by the food and beverage industry about five years ago to refer to a fruit that combines antioxidants with high nutrient value and appealing taste,. The term “superfruit” is applied to a wide variety of fruits, including mango, blueberry, cranberry, grape and pomegrante. The health halo that surrounds fruit focuses on its innate health benefits and the role of powerful superfruits, which are forecast to become a $10 billion global industry by 2011.
6. Antioxidant becomes primary wellness ingredient. “High in antioxidants” is a ubiquitous marketing message featured by scores of drinks, foods and supplements. Ranking sixth on the functional food list, antioxidants have become a primary wellness ingredient, touted to improve heart health, mood and beauty. The researchers indicate that the antioxidant message has an increasingly limited affect in increasing sales. And increasing FDA label scrutiny, as evidenced by the FDA warning letter regarding Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s “Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale” antioxidant claim, make it difficult to use antioxidant fortification as a marketing tool.
7. Weight management trend broadens as obesity rates rise. A new study released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation indicates that three out of four Americans will be overweight by 2020, unless comprehensive measures are taken to fight the obesity epidemic. As obesity rates climb in the U.S. and globally, it is no surprise that “weight management”was the seventh most significant food trend, with a focus on satiety, calorie-burning and fat-burning ingredient properties.
8. Healthy snacking fuels metabolism. Healthy snacking can complement a weight-loss plan and is a convenient way to satisfy hunger while getting the vitamins and nutrients one’s body needs.  “A focus on building markets for new snack concepts rather than simply following on with predictable products has already led to the creation of some innovative snacking concepts,” says Julian Mellentin, the author of the New Nutrition report and co-author of “The Functional Foods Revolution: Healthy People, Healthy Profits?” and “Commercializing Innovation: The Food & Health Marketing Handbook.”
9. Looks matter—packaging. Packaging innovation is key to attracting and retaining higher-margin loyal consumers to food and health-product innovations. “Companies who target the niches of the most health-conscious consumers find loyal consumers with high levels of repeat purchase—80% repeat purchase rates are common,” says Mellentin. “Brands targeted at the most health-conscious niches have thrived even in recession, even in very price-sensitive markets, even at premium prices.”
10. Bones and movement. As our population of people over the age of 40 grows exponentially, the bones and movement category gathers momentum as an increasing number of people have reason to be aware of the health of their bones and joints and are turning to products that support joint and bone health.  

Just ask yourself, are you more aware of what you eat than, say, a year ago? We will most likely continue to see strong demand for functional foods and beverages in many categories for years to come.  Take functional protein products, for example. They continue to gain market share in the sports-nutrition market. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that market follow closely behind digestive-health products in the near future.

Taste is definitely a priority for consumers, but with the growth and increasing awareness of health and wellness, people are searching for foods and beverages that go beyond their basic nutritional needs. The food industry constantly evolves and introduces new products that acknowledge concerns, including obesity and weight management. Since the food industry evolves and trends do change, it is important for manufacturer’s to identify, incorporate and balance what the consumer wants and what is required for healthy living.

Healthy living encompasses more than just a healthy body. The world population is growing, food supply is shrinking, water supplies are becoming more limited, and food production is competing for land with housing and the production of fuel crops. In the coming decades, as global agriculture faces the prospect of a changing climate and the challenge of feeding the world’s growing population, renewable plant protein may be part of the solution to deliver food to regions vulnerable to food deficits

*Source: New Nutrition Business, Volume 15, Number 8, June 2010 Issue