The health and wellness trend is becoming a global superpower, boasting a hefty market value of $6.3tn (Global Wellness Institute).
But what are the most popular functional ingredients on the market and what more do consumers want?
5: Electrolytes
Sports nutrition is big business, with a global market value of $45.24bn and a projected CAGR of 7.5% over the next five years (Grand View Research). And one of the major ingredients, or group of ingredients, fuelling that market electrolytes.
Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Some drinks are naturally rich in electrolytes, while others are formulated to include them.
“Electrolytes have very much come on trend, with major brands including them in their sports drinks,” says Tony Gay, technical sales director at functional ingredients supplier, Prinova. “But that growth has also seen them become mainstream, so they’re being included in a wide range of drinks, not just endurance.”
4: Vitamins
Fortification with vitamins is not new, but consumers are increasingly looking to their food and beverage products to provide a wide variety, to support overall wellbeing.
“The expectation is for brands to do it all,” says Richard Peake, managing director of Merchant Gourmet.
As a result, manufacturers are increasingly formulating new food and beverage products, and reformulating existing food and beverage products, to increase nutrient levels.
The most common vitamins added to foods and beverages through fortification are vitamins A, B6, B9, B12, D, and E.
Meanwhile, vitamins B7, K1 and K2 are becoming increasingly popular with consumers, and are therefore gaining attention from manufacturers.
3: Proteins
Proteins in various forms are proving hugely popular with consumers, with many adopting a high-protein diet, including meat, fish and eggs, as a means to build or maintain muscle. Other forms of protein, including collagen, are also proving increasingly poplar with consumers – though for very different reasons.
There’s been a sharp rise in products such as collagen coffee, launched to the market over the past year, leading to a current market value of $5.1bn and a projected value of $7.4bn by 2030 (MarketsandMarkets).
According to Mintel, products containing collagen are targeted towards people in their twenties, thirties, and forties. However, this is likely to change, as the benefits of collagen, including increased muscle mass, prevention of bone loss and improvement of skin health, lead more consumers to seek out these products.
“The collagen market growth is due to rising health awareness, thriving demand for functional foods and dietary supplements,” says a spokesperson for MarketsandMarkets. “The growth is also driven by the shift of consumers to preventative healthcare and wellness, wherein they have concerns over chronic diseases and sedentary lifestyles.”
Elsewhere, protein powders and bars are dominating the sports nutrition space, with a projected global market value of $47.4bn by 2032 (Statista).
“The protein market continues to present strong growth opportunities for the food industry,” says Mahsa Shahbandeh, research expert at Statista.
2: Adaptogens
Another type of ingredient, fast growing in popularity, are adaptogens. Currently holding a global market value of $10.34bn, the adaptogens market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.0% over the next five years (Grand View Research).
Adaptogens are herbs and mushrooms believed to have health and wellness benefits, such as aiding sleep and managing stress.
The current most popular adaptogens include:
- Ashwagandha - believed to reduce stress, anxiety and fatigue
- Ginseng - linked to improved brain and immune function, blood sugar management, increased energy levels and reduced inflammation
- Holy basil - associated with reduced stress and anxiety, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, inflammation and improved wound healing
- Lion’s mane - believed to repair nerve damage, aid weight loss and improve brain function
- Rhodiola roseas - linked to reduced stress, fatigue, and depression, and improved brain function and exercise performance
- Schisandra - connected with a reduced risk of depression, alleviation of some symptoms of menopause, as well as a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s and liver disease
- Turmeric - linked to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, improved brain function, reduced risk of heart disease and depression
1: Probiotics
Gut health is one of the most powerful trends to hit food and beverage in the past decade. And such is its dominance, that the global digestive health products market is now valued at $51.62bn, and projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.3% over the next five years (Grand View Research). And probiotic products are a major part of this industry.
Probiotics are live microorganisms, often described as helpful or ‘good’ bacteria, because they help keep the gut healthy, and they’re popping up in foods and beverages across the industry.
The seven probiotics, most commonly used in probiotic products, are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia and Bacillus.
From gut-friendly flapjacks to gut gummies, products containing probiotics are hugely popular with consumers, and food and drinks manufacturers are focussing heavily on gut health innovation and and new product development, to capitalise on the trend.
“While probiotics have been recognised globally for some time, it’s only relatively recently that scientific advancements have highlighted the profound impact of gut health on overall wellbeing,” says Reshma Patel, marketing manager at Yakult UK.
“It extends way beyond digestion, with growing evidence revealing the interconnection of the body’s major organs, with the gut at the centre of this intricate system.”
