Innova Market Insights explores “new wave of opportunity for functional nutrition”

14 Jul 2021 --- Consumers across the globe are placing increased emphasis on positive nutrition rather than the more traditional methods of diet control, according to analysis by Innova Market Insights. 

An average 71 percent of respondents in Innova’s 2020 Health & Nutrition Survey indicated that it was either “important” or “very important” to choose food and drink products that positively boost nutrition or benefit how the body functions.

The new wave of opportunity for functional nutrition product launches for 2021 and beyond will be explored further in a webinar on July 19.

Pandemic influence on well-being demands
The long-established trend toward proactively managing health and well-being has been brought into sharper focus by the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend encompases the growing desire to maintain physical and mental fitness developing alongside the more immediate focuses on personal health security and hygiene.

Consumers from different generations and different parts of the world are today invested in their own personalized nutrition, with varying needs, motivations and behavior driving interest in specific functional benefits.

The long-established trend toward proactively managing health and well-being has been brought into sharper focus by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are some differences among age groups, notes the market researcher. 

The under 35s tend to focus more on physical appearance and performance, for example, while the older groups, particularly the Boomers (56+ years), are more interested in targeted or age-specific health benefits. 

Even prior to the pandemic, consumers were taking a more holistic approach to health, focusing on positive nutrition to boost the body’s resilience and improve physical, mental and emotional well-being.  

This included choosing functional food and beverages, as well as maintaining or increasing exercise, protecting the body from health threats and utilizing more self-care products at home as access to shops and services was restricted.

Gut feeling
According to Innova Market Insights, future directions for NPD will be led by growing opportunities for products carrying multiple health claims, such as gut health, immunity and mood-boosting benefits.

The additional advantages of a healthy gut – beyond the more established areas of digestion and immunity – continue to be explored. For instance, Innova Market Insights highlights rising evidence about the gut-skin axis and how reducing sugary and fatty diets can help tackle skin and joint inflammation.

Similarly, there is a growing understanding of how good bacteria in the gut can prompt improvements in mental health, enabling improvements in mood and happiness by reducing stress and fatigue, as well as optimizing relaxation and sleep patterns.

This has seen rising use of mood-related claims for new products, particularly those highlighting brain function, focus and concentration, often linked to the inclusion of adaptogens such as CBD.

One example of NPD that integrates each of these key positionings is Toodaloo, a new US snack brand launching a line of plant-based adaptogenic trail mixes. Arriving in five varieties, each trail mix is infused with herbs and superfoods that target restoration and energy, as well as skin, gut and mental health.

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer

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