June 7, 2024 – Prioritizing prevention is the #3 trend in the Innova Market Insights Top 10 Trends 2024. This trend captures consumer desire for foods and beverages that provide a variety of benefits to support health and wellness. When consumers and manufacturers think about health and wellness, they think beyond physical health to also include mental wellness. Launches that are positioned for health and wellness more and more are focusing on the ingredients that promote health and the proactive health benefits.
What is Prioritizing Prevention?
The Top 10 Trend prioritizing prevention means taking positive action to prevent health problems before they come up. When they prioritize prevention, consumers seek food, beverage, and supplement products for personal wellbeing benefits. According to recent Innova consumer trends research a solid majority of consumers say that they are trying to prevent health conditions by living healthily.
For healthy aging, consumers noted the importance of physical wellbeing, including staying active physically and ensuring physical health. Mental wellbeing also is important. Mental health includes keeping an active mind and having a positive mindset. When asking consumers what they are doing to age healthily, their top actions include regular exercise, improving their sleep, and managing their weight. Regarding consumer trends in mental health, stress and anxiety are top concerns.
Proactive Health Means Taking Action Today
Consumers are behaving proactively in choosing food, beverage, and supplement products to support their wellbeing and prevent health concerns from arising. Consumer trends research show that consumers have health concerns regarding weight management, heart health, and joint and bone health.
Consumers would like the foods and beverages they choose to offer proactive health benefits. Over half of respondents globally agree or strongly agree that foods and beverages are their main tool for improving their health. They also say that they have tried to improve their health with foods and beverages that are targeted to specific body functions.
Prevention Through Functional Food and Beverage Products
Functional foods and drinks are defined as products that carry a specific health claim, nutrient claim, and/or functional ingredient. Immune health is an example of a health claim. One of the most popular nutrient claims is high/source of protein. Food and beverage products with a functional health claim or ingredient help consumers to prioritize prevention. Functional ingredients that are the top star ingredients with health benefits include vitamins, protein, fiber, omega-3s, and minerals.
Functional nutrition ingredients are extremely important to functional food and beverage products. Over half of consumers agree or strongly agree with a statement regarding checking for one or two ingredients when they buy a functional food or beverage.
Different Generations, Different Physical Health Concerns
Each generation – Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers – has slightly different physical health concerns and priorities. Weight management is the top concern for three generations: Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Members of the Boomer generation are most concerned about heart health, followed by weight management. Heart health is the number two concern of Gen X and Millennials. The youngest generation, Gen Z, is more concerned about skin health than about heart health.
Functional Food and Beverage Launches Go Up
Indexed growth of food and beverage launches with functional health claims have been going up since 2020. However, the percentage of food and beverage launches with functional health claims has remained flat over that same period of time. This means that launches with functional health benefits are rising at the same rate as other launches. Over two-thirds of food and beverage launches with functional health benefits were introduced in West Europe, Asia and North America. New launch activity for products with functional health claims is increasing fastest in Africa and Asia.
New Products Feature Ingredients and Benefits
It is common for new product launches to highlight both ingredients and functional health benefits. Some launches carry claims and feature ingredients for holistic support of body and mind. Several health claims are on the rise, including protein claims, fiber claims, prebiotic claims, energy claims, and immune health claims. Another growing claim associated with functional food and beverage launches is sugar reduction. Some products feature more than one functional ingredient, for example, protein plus other enhancements. Functional ingredients also are growing outside of traditional categories. Fiber is one such functional ingredient that may be found now in hot drinks and sauces. Prebiotics and probiotics are available in a variety of categories.
Beverages are Important for Functional Ingredients
Beverages can be an important source of functional ingredients such as fiber and prebiotics. These functional ingredients can be added to ready-to-drink beverages as well as drink powders and smoothie powders.
Immune Health and Energy Benefits are Growing
Claims that support immune health are growing. The most common ingredients associated with immunity are vitamins and minerals. Other ingredients that are growing quickly in immune health products are collagen, hemp seed oil, fruit, and probiotics.
Consumers want to have more energy so energy claims are growing. Energy ingredients and claims can be applicable for physical energy or mental energy. Some examples of energy benefits are boosting training, fighting fatigue, improving mental focus and clarity, and providing mental and physical energy.
Mental Health Matters to Consumers
Mental health is so important to consumers that more than 1 in 4 consumers in Asia Pacific countries report willingness to pay more for food and beverage products with functional ingredients for mental health. Ingredients to watch for include ashwagandha, adaptogens to relieve stress and anxiety, cannabis and hemp for better sleep and less anxiety, and lion’s mane to prevent cognitive impairment.
Supplements Help Consumers with Health and Wellness
Consumers are turning to supplements to stay healthy and they say that health maintenance is their main reason for taking supplements. Supplements also help with prevention. Supplements that are fastest growing offer benefits for immune health and brain and mental health. The benefits of brain and mental health supplements include mood boosting, energy, and mental acuity. For immune health, ingredients with benefits include vitamins – vitamins C, B6, and D – and minerals – zinc – plus natural ingredients such as mushrooms, botanical extracts, elderberry, and sea moss.
What’s Next in Prevention and Holistic Health?
Based on consumer trends and food and beverage launches, Innova predicts growth in several areas. Immune health solutions are likely to remain strong in both food and beverage and supplements launches because people are more aware of germs and illness after the pandemic. Holistic health solutions will target the body, mind, and spirit. Because so many consumers feel stress and anxiety, product launches for mental wellbeing and mental acuity are expected to grow. Launches increasingly may incorporate natural ingredients such as mushrooms, herbs, plants, and extracts, as well as ingredients from the ocean.
This article is based on our report, “Top 10 Trends 2024
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