A business data report recently released by The United States Precision is aimed at the development trend of global food and beverage, functional products and nutritional health foods in 2022, and the emergence of these trends is closely related to the iteration of consumer demand for products.
In the past few years, consumers have become more and more concerned about their own "health and happiness", especially the new consumer groups with obvious health concepts, who have begun to pay attention to the formula, ingredients, labels, appeals and environmental sustainability of products. These intrinsic consumer demands are driving the entire nutraceutical industry to upgrade and innovate, with a new generation of consumers more educated, more adventurous, and more willing to try different products and services.
One clear change in consumer demand in the market is that consumers are looking for physical and mentally enhancing foods and beverages, choosing natural products and nutritional supplements to provide overall nutrition, and want to have a positive impact on the community and the environment as a whole.
Here are five business trends in the global nutrition and health industry in 2022 that can better understand the perception of health and product needs of this generation of consumers.
01
Stress relief and sleep products are popular
Stress and sleep are mutually influential, in the current fast-paced era of pressure is more obvious, the outbreak of the epidemic is more "exacerbated" of this normalized epidemic, more consumers began to pay attention to emotional health, sleep management, stress relief of the three subdivision directions. According to the 2021 HARRIS Poll survey line in the United States, two-thirds of the reasons for increasing the use of nutritional supplements by consumers in the United States include improved sleep and improved mental health, accounting for 41% and 34% respectively.
Consumer demand in terms of mood and stress is driving the rapid growth of vitamins and nutritional supplements, and data released by SPINS shows that vitamins and nutritional supplements are growing at an annual rate of 43% on Amazon, and although there are many growth drivers in the market, stress and sleep support have increased significantly.
In addition, younger generations are more likely than older generations to seek stress-relieving vitamins and nutritional supplements, which 30 percent of Gen Z and millennials take, compared to just 20 percent of Gen X.
2019-2021 Annual growth rate of vitamins and nutritional supplements on Amazon is 43% Source: SPINS
In this area, beverages are one of the directions of new product development. For example, PepsiCo launched a soda drink, Soullboost, in 2021, with the main appeal being energy boost and pressure relaxation, and In the same year, Daydream Drinks launched sodas containing marijuana and adaptogens.
In terms of specific raw material development, magnesium, MCT, ashwagandha, mushrooms, melatonin and other ingredients have grown very much in the market.
Soulboost Soda Drink Source: Pepsi
Among them, magnesium and ashwagandha are more resonant ingredients that can resonate with consumers, on the one hand, most people do not consume enough magnesium, and more and more studies have found that magnesium is associated with sleep and intestines. As a representative of the adaptogen, Ashwagandha has performed well in the market in the past two years, and there will be greater development potential in the future.
02
Carbonated drinks have become a new outlet for gut health
The probiotic market will continue to grow as consumers become more aware of the fundamental role of gut health. The global probiotic market is estimated at $54.77 billion in 2020 and will continue to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% between 2021 and 2028.
At present, the main application category of probiotics is still based on nutritional supplements, and the plant-based field is a relatively new and growing field, and it is expected to see many probiotic solutions in the future.
Probiotics are commonly found in various types of fermented foods, such as yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, and kimchi. At present, one of the main contributors to the growth of probiotic product trends is "functional carbonated drinks", which contain prebiotics, probiotics or epigenetics, the main application direction is immune and intestinal, and the more popular probiotic beverages are storage-resistant functional carbonated drinks in the energy and performance categories.
Functional beverages became the next direction for probiotic growth, with storage-resistant energy drinks and other probiotic-containing beverages becoming the main drivers of sales growth, up 4,357.4 percent. For beverages containing prebiotics, storage-resistant sodas and carbonated drinks rose 12.8 percent.
03
The rise of regenerative agriculture
Health-conscious consumers pay a premium for products that ensure their health and support social responsibility and sustainability. Many people have developed an interest in sustainable environmental health and support these "products of the future" through the act of purchasing. In addition, consumers will continue to seek cleaner ingredient labels.
Since 2019, commercial interest in regenerative agriculture has soared by 138%. Regenerative agriculture is a global movement that promotes biodiversity, carbon sequestration and the harmonious functioning of living systems. The concept draws on the tradition of working with natural rhythms, and the continued epidemic of the epidemic has once again brought it into the eyes of consumers.
Regenerative agriculture has been booming and plays a key role in shaping the future of agriculture. Strategies that prioritize soil health, no-till, cover crops on farmland and traditional livestock are expected to help increase accountability in the food and agriculture sectors while attracting conscious consumers. In the future, the words "renewable agriculture" will appear on the label of product packaging.
For the industry, regenerative agriculture is critical for large food brands to achieve their net zero programs and meet consumer demand for sustainable products, in addition, Unilever announced five renewable agriculture principles in 2021 to achieve the 2039 net zero emissions target.
04
More sustainable packaging options
Consumers are paying close attention to the environmental impact of the goods they buy, and while many manufacturers have turned to environmentally friendly, upcycling packaging options, environmental waste remains a conscious consumer concern.
Manufacturers, retailers and other brands are rethinking how to provide more sustainable materials when packaging products. Minimize the use of plastic and single-use packaging materials by selecting recycled materials that help reduce waste and carbon footprint.
Edible packaging for pea protein source Source: GoustoRecipe Box
Seaweed Packaging Source: Evoware
For example, the British company Gousto Recipe Box has partnered with Xampla to produce edible packaging materials derived from pea protein, and Evoware indonesia has launched a series of edible packaging from seaweed sources.
According to SPENCE data, across the packaging supply chain, recyclable container/cup systems increased by 23 percent, sterile cartons by 9 percent, and glass use by 2 percent. As packaging continues to influence buying decisions, there will also be innovation around zero-waste packaging.
Environmentally sustainable packaging is becoming increasingly important in product categories Image source: Biopoc
05
Everything is "mushroom"
Mushrooms as a rookie in the market in the past two years has been very hot, from cooking to functional nutrition, consumers have shown obvious interest in mushroom products. To cater to emerging consumer trends, brands are developing a variety of new forms of mushroom products, including blended seasonings, ready-to-drink beverages, snacks and coffee. In addition, mushroom ingredients in the form of capsules, powders, tinctures or teas are also becoming increasingly popular in nutritional supplements.
Market data released by SPINS points to a 16.1% increase in sales of mushrooms in the natural retail channel in the United States in 2021.
Different types of mushrooms have different active ingredients and application directions, chaga, cordyceps, ganoderma lucidum, lion's head mushroom and cloud mushroom are more common ingredients in product formulations, the main application direction is concentrated in the immune system, blood pressure management, antioxidants, overall health, etc., in addition, cognitive health, cardiovascular and skin health and other fields are also worth exploring the direction.
Demand for functional mushrooms and nutritional supplements will continue to grow as consumers seek food and beverage innovations that promote benefits beyond essential nutrition.
According to market data released by Allied Market Research, the global functional mushroom market size reached $7.98 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $19.33 billion in 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 9.3% from 2021 to 2030.