Good-for-you products on the rise

New functional foods continued to hit the shelves this month with a focus on making traditionally not-so-healthy products a little more appealing to the growing number of consumers looking for extra health benefits.

The Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) reveals a trend developing among confectionery manufacturers who are fortifying their products with vitamins and minerals. So far functional moves have been mainly from niche players, such as the 'Function' prebiotic sweets from Zile. Leading brand Fruit-tella has however recently launched the Fruit-tella Plus line in Italy from Perfetti Van Melle. These are soft sweets containing fruit juice and enriched with vitamins B, C and E as well as calcium.

New fortified beverages (juices in particular) keep on appearing, and although they remain more popular in the US, the latest launch is from Ireland. The aptly named Vitz Liquid Health label has a new range of low sugar, no fat, low calorie 'daily vitamin boost' juice drinks available in two varieties. The Tropical Tease Multi Vitamin Defence variety is fortified with vitamins A, C, E, B6, B12, H and B5, and is designed to replace lost nutrients and 'defend against the hazards of modern living'. The Bursting Berry Boost Vitamin & Ginseng Energy variety is enriched with vitamins C, B6, B3 and B5 as well as folic acid and ginseng.

Mintel has also revealed that Mars is promoting the antioxidant and heart-health benefits of cocoa beans through a new company division, The Positive Food Company. The company is set to introduce a number of healthy cocoa snack products, the first of which is Positively Healthy Cocoa Drink. Thesingle dose (85ml) chilled milk drink is said to be high in natural cocoa antioxidants and is marketed with the strapline 'top up your body's defences'.

Further developments in the UK health foods sector have come from retailers, with some launching new marketing to push the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Supermarket Sainsbury markets a range of processed foods under the banner Way to Five, each labelled as containing one or two of the daily recommended portions. Branded products including soups and canned vegetables also now carry an indication of their fruit/vegetable content in easy to follow portions.

But showing just how much value some manufacturers attribute to the health trend, Solero, the Unilever-owned ice cream brand, is also going the five-a-day way, according to Mintel. Solero Getfruit! ice cream, sold in a 1 litre tub, is described on-pack as 'ice cream to help you reach 5 a day'. It is available in varieties including strawberry & raspberry, apple & blackcurrant, and tropical, and the back of the pack lists '5 good things' about the ice cream : it is made with 45 per cent real fruit, has no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and is a good source of vitamin C. An additional panel describes how the product can help you reach '5 a day', as each 125ml serving of ice cream contains half a portion of fruit.

Finally, another company gaining momentum from the nutraceuticals market is Ireland's Shannon Minerals of Limerick which has launched its Tri na nog Functional Waters in Canada. The line-up includes Boost, to fight colds; Osteo, to promote breast and bone health; Slim, to help curb appetites; Mineral Max, to restore antioxidants; Cardio, to reduce critical blood fats; Effervescent Get Up & Go, for men; and Detox, a peach-flavoured beverage for women to aid recovery from hangovers.