August 22, 2024 – In North America, meal replacements and other drinks appeal to consumers for their convenience, nutritional benefits, and versatility, making them a popular choice for busy lifestyles and health-conscious individuals. Innova’s 360 research into drinks trends allows for identification of key insights into product launches, top flavors, brands, and other factors that shape the category.
Drinks Product Launch Trends
North America is the second leading region for meal replacement and other drinks launches over the past year, after Europe. New product development in North America is driven by reductionism and sugar-related claims, alongside innovative flavors ranging from brown to fruity and cross-category inspired options, catering to a variety of dietary needs and taste preferences.
Drinks trends research displays the launch rate of meal replacement and other drinks products has fluctuated, with a notable increase in 2022. This rise is supported by diverse product formats like powders and ready-to-drink (RTD) options, offering a variety of textures such as smooth and velvety.
The United States leads in North America with an 11% rise in product launches over the past year. The country is focusing on immune boosting ingredients like vitamins A, C, and D, and gut health enhancing prebiotics and probiotics. Meanwhile, Canada has seen significant growth in launches in the past year, indicating consumer rising preference for functional and convenient meal replacement options.
Top Companies and Brands
Abbott, Glanbia, Nestlé, Keto Chow, and Vega are the top 5 companies for meal replacements and other drinks launches in North America. Drinks trends research reveals these top 5 companies account for a total 7% of launches over the past year in the region.
Abbott is the leading company for meal replacements and other drinks launches, driven by its brands Ensure and Abbott. The company focuses on protein-rich products that are blended with vitamins and minerals to support weight loss and muscle health. Abbott’s offerings also include choices aiming to preserve muscle mass and feature indulgent flavors, enhancing the appeal and significance of their new product development.
Claims and Positionings Trends
The top 5 claims in the North American meal replacements and other drinks market are source of protein, weight management, gluten free, source of fiber, and GMO free. Drinks trends research displays source of protein as the predominant claim in Canada and the United States.
Apart from these top 5, other claims are also growing across North America. In Canada, no additives or preservatives, energy, and lactose free claims are on the rise. In the United States, claims related to plant based, organic, and sugar free are gaining popularity. This highlights the rising consumer focus on health and wellness, driving brands to develop and cater to these preferences across North America.
Drinks Flavor Trends
Milk chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, French vanilla, and cow milk are the top 5 flavors in North America. These top flavors vary by country; in Canada, the top flavor is vanilla, while in the United States, milk chocolate takes the lead.
Drinks trends research shows that peanut butter, coconut, chai tea, cocoa, and caramel flavors are also growing in the space. These emerging flavors indicate an interest in more new and unique taste options in the meal replacement and other drinks market.
What’s Next in Meal Replacement and Other Drinks Trends?
More than 1 in 4 US and Canadian consumers claim to be proactive in preventing health issues, with weight management being a major concern related to physical health. This aligns with Innova’s Annual Top 10 Trends, ‘Prioritizing Prevention,’ which highlights that consumers are taking positive action to prevent health issues before they arise. They seek products to meet their needs for holistic health. This trend has led to a 17% CAGR growth in meal replacements and other drinks launches with weight management claims over the past four years. This presents abundant opportunities for companies to cater to this growing demand.
The United States is the most active market for meal replacements and other drink launches in North America, setting the standard for innovation. Companies can focus on health-centric new product development and should consider incorporating omega-3 for brain health, gut friendly prebiotics and probiotics, and formulations using adaptogenic roots and mushrooms to promote stress reduction, calmness, and focus.
Drinks trends research shows that consumer preferences for sugar-related and reductionism claims, and innovative flavors are driving market growth. Companies can enhance their offerings with unique flavor profiles such as milk chocolate, peanut butter, and chai tea. The emphasis on health and flavor diversity is likely to continue to shape product development, offering companies several opportunities to innovate and lead in the meal replacement and other drinks market in North America.
This article is based on our report, “Overview of Meal Replacements & Other Drinks in US & Canada.” If you are interested in reading this report, feel free to request a demo.
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