Future trend of functional food market

May 29, 2024

Latest company news about Future trend of functional food market

Trend 1: The sports nutrition market continues to gain strength

 

In the post-pandemic era, global consumers have begun to pay more attention and become more aware of the importance of health and fitness. According to Gallup, half of American adults exercised for more than 30 minutes at least three days a week last year, and 82.7 million people participated in the exercise.

 

According to SPINS data, in the 52 weeks ending October 8, 2023, hydration, performance enhancement and energy enhancement categories in the natural and conventional channels in the US led the way in terms of sales, with year-on-year increases of 49.1%, 27.3% and 7.2%, respectively.

 

Hot ingredients: β-alanine,Creatine, Ashwagandha，Trehalose, betaine，Vitamins (B &C), proteins (whey protein, casein, vegetable protein), branched-chain amino acids.

 

Trend two: The concept of "food as medicine" has begun to prevail

 
The concept of "food as medicine", although relatively new in the West, has long been regarded as essential to health in many cultures around the world. The idea is to prevent/mitigate disease conditions with food and diet at its core, focusing on whole, minimally processed plant-based foods and reducing the intake of highly processed foods. Foods with high levels of specific micronutrients or biomolecules - functional foods - are crucial to this idea.
 

In the United States, "food for medicine" health claims focus on heart health, diabetes support, muscle, digestive, and bone health, among others. However, according to the NIQ report, a new generation of physiology-based health claims such as metabolic support, microbiome balance, inflammation control, blood sugar management, joint support, and pain control is emerging, with sales of functional foods containing such health claims outpacing the overall food and beverage market in the last four years.

 

Trend 3: The rapid growth of allergen-friendly products

With increased consumer interest in healthy eating, particularly heightened awareness of food allergies and sensitivities, Hartman's Health Management study shows that more than a quarter of U.S. adults tried food allergy/sensitivity treatments last year, driving market demand for allergen-free formulations. Circana's statistics show that through February 26, 2023, sales of allergy-friendly label foods increased by 25% and unit sales increased by 8.7%.

 

Trend 4: Mental/emotional health is a concern

 
Younger generations are particularly concerned about mental health, with 30% of millennials and Gen Z consumers saying they seek a healthier lifestyle due to concerns about mental health. In the past year, 93 percent of consumers worldwide have taken a number of actions to improve their mental/emotional health, such as exercising (34 percent), changing diet and nutrition (28 percent), and taking dietary supplements (24 percent).
 

Improvements in mental health related to stress and anxiety management, emotional maintenance, alertness, mental acuity, and relaxation techniques. According to data from Innova Market Insights, supplements targeting emotional health of the brain have ranked second among health claims launched globally over the past five years. In addition, according to NIQ, sales of energy drinks for brain health reached $1.2 billion in the year ending Dec. 20, 2023.

 

Hot ingredients: South African Nightshade, mushroom, chamomile, St. John's wort, Holy basil extract, Mate, saffron extract,spin date, lily, Poria, Purslane, magnesium, B vitamins, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), L-theanine，phosphatidylserine...