Innova Market Insights

Probiotics turn to new marketing platforms.

Baby food and pet food still dominate the DHA market.

Though not always positioned specifically for diabetes, product launches for blood sugar management are also emphasizing low GI and general health.

How are regulatory concerns in a number of regions, most notably the EU, changing the marketing of digestive-health products?

Stevia usage is also growing in candy and sports/energy drinks.

They’re not targeting who you think.

The time is right to aim brain health food and drinks at the elderly. But marketers don’t seem to think so.

Three-quarters of eye health food and drink launches are in baby food or pet food. When will we start targeting the adults?

Is performance the whey forward for dairy drinks?

Yes, new omega-3 products are still rolling out globally.

Dairy and drinks will drive beauty more mainstream.

Regulators are still raising questions about probiotics’ efficacy. Even as probiotic food and drinks grow mainstream-and, increasingly, consumers themselves gain a better understanding of the link between probiotics and digestive, gut, and immune health-regulators still appear doubtful about the substantiation behind probiotic claims. This has been most apparent in the EU and the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) ongoing refusal to approve probiotic health claims, despite extensive scientific dossiers presented by a number of major multinationals.

Blurring the line between nutrition and performance bars.

Thus far, the antiaging category hasn’t grown much beyond antioxidants.

Which superfruits are on the rise?

Resveratrol interest keeps growing, thanks to new regulatory approvals and products.

Soy is going further, in everything from beverages to nutrition bars.

Omega-3 drinks, anyone?

From past to present, the market has been friendly to friendly bacteria.

There’s room for eye-health innovation in functional food and drink.

Joint health has yet to steer away from supplements.

Superfruits push their way into mainstream markets.

Fiber demand has reached the sweet bakery market.

Omega-3s in Food and Beverage

Rising interest in vitamin K2 is spanning both supplements and functional foods.

In the heart-health category, activity surrounding phytosterols-including health-claims regulations and new product launches-has been high.

It is a difficult time to be operating in the European functional foods space. Ingredient suppliers in particular have endured months of nervous anticipation as they wait for European Food Safety Authority (EFSA; Parma, Italy) opinions on health claims being assessed under the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation (EU Regulation EC/1924/2006).