October 23, 2024 – Globally, botanical ingredients are preferred in food and beverages for their natural appeal, wellness benefits, and connection to health-conscious living. This shift reflects a growing demand for clean, functional ingredients that align with consumer lifestyle choices. Innova’s 360 research into the botanical ingredients market highlights the latest product launches, innovations, and what may develop in the future.
Consumer Ingredients Trends
Health and well-being is the top spending priorities for consumers, following essential living costs. Diet and nutrition, alongside exercise, mental health, and weight management, are central to a healthy lifestyle. More than 1 in 3 consumers claim to be proactive in preventing health issues, reflecting Innova’s annual top trend of 2024, ‘Prioritizing Prevention.’ They are taking positive action to prevent health concerns before they arise, driving demand for food, beverages, and supplements that meet personal well-being needs. Botanical ingredients, with their potential health benefits, are becoming significant in the food and beverage industry.
Supplements with Botanical Ingredients Trends
Supplement launches with botanical ingredients have experienced a 6% CAGR rise over the past five years, driven by consumer preferences for natural over synthetic options. In fact, 55% of consumers believe natural ingredients are safer to consume. Energy and stamina, brain-mood health, and immune health claims are displaying a high increase in launches.
Botanical ingredients market reveals that fungi, particularly functional mushrooms, is the fastest-growing botanical ingredient in supplements. These mushrooms are often used individually or in combination to enhance product effectiveness. For instance, Mindful Extracts Organic Chaga Mushroom Supplement highlights immunity and anti-inflammatory benefits, while Idlife Nurish Id’s dietary supplement combines six adaptogenic mushrooms for health and weight management.
Botanicals are also evolving in gut-muscle and gut-skin axes. The combination of biotics and botanicals in supplements helps to improve muscle and skin health. Products like Zenwise Health No Bloat display this trend, featuring a blend of various digestive enzymes, probiotics, and botanicals like turmeric and ginger to support digestion and nutrient absorption.
Botanical ingredients trends shows that brands are focusing on appealing formats to deliver botanicals with scientifically backed botanicals intact. Meanwhile sustainability continues to play a critical role in product innovation.
Food Trends with Botanical Ingredients
Food launches with botanical ingredients display an upward trend since 2019. Botanical extracts and plant-based ingredients are increasingly used to create functional foods and beverages that meet consumer demand for health benefits and natural ingredient lists. Active health claims like prebiotic support, immune health, and added iron are on the rise globally.
Algae species and fungi are among the fastest-growing botanical ingredient categories in food launches. Botanical ingredients market highlights botanicals like acerola juice, maitake mushrooms, and chlorella are gaining attention due to their functional health benefits. However, in many products, acerola juice is added as an ingredient without any specific claim. This is the same for various botanicals. To maximize impact, brands can improve front-of-pack labeling, highlighting the specific functionalities of botanicals beyond their general usage, creating more consumer awareness and driving interest in these health-supportive ingredients.
Beverages Trends with Botanical Ingredients
The beverages launches with botanical ingredients are stabilizing after a period of growth. To meet consumer preferences, brands are developing beverage-friendly botanicals that offer uniformity, solubility, neutral taste, stability, and clinically backed benefits. Brands are collaborating to create beverage formulations to cater to these preferences. For instance, Döhler and Vertosa join forces for cannabis and hemp-infused beverage innovation.
Energy/alertness is the top health claim, followed by immune health, antioxidants, digestive and gut health. Meanwhile, prebiotic claims are rising. Fungi, herbal and spices are the fast-growing botanical ingredient categories.
Coffee, iced coffee, and dairy alternative drinks with botanical ingredients are emerging, while flavored alcoholic beverages and energy drinks are on the watchlist for further development. Brands like Bigelow Botanicals are capitalizing on this trend, offering Cold Water Infusions that slowly infuse cold water with botanicals like chamomile, hibiscus, and licorice root. These infusions, free from caffeine, calories, and artificial ingredients, provide a convenient and refreshing way for consumers to stay hydrated throughout the day.
What’s Next in Botanical Ingredients Trends?
As consumers increasingly seek natural ingredients, brands can focus on active ingredients, vitamins, and minerals to come from natural sources in appealing formats. Functional mushrooms in supplements play a key role in personalized nutrition, brain/mood health, and immune support. Precision fermentation could further drive the affordability and purity of active botanicals, supporting sustainable production.
In food, launches featuring botanicals like seaweeds and functional mushrooms are meeting the demand for functional benefits beyond basic nutrition. Algae species are growing rapidly and could become mainstream as awareness of marine botanicals rises. Coastal countries encouraging domesticated production of algae species can help with growing demand.
Brands can focus on beverage-friendly botanicals to enhance functional beverages with uniformity, solubility, neutral taste, stability, and clinically backed benefits. Technologies like infusion technology are solving formulation challenges, particularly in hydration products. Botanical infusions in hydration products may increase due to their functional benefits beyond the flavor attributes. Globally, botanical ingredients trends are likely to become essential in shaping the future of functional foods and beverages and supplements combining health benefits with sustainability.
This article is based on Innova’s Trending in Botanical Ingredients – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
