Superfruits top the bill for sweet flavour predictions in 2009, suggesting confectionery formulators mindful of innovation in a testing climate should increasingly consider exotic flavours in their new product designs.
Demand for functional food and drinks has ensured that the European market for ingredients with proposed cardiovascular benefits is in rude health, despite restrictions on claims allowed on such products, says new research.
There are fears that in the economic crisis consumers will put on “recession pounds” by eating unhealthily. Rightly or wrongly, food manufacturers may suffer the blame but “unhealthy” and “recession proof” do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.
While weight control may be on many consumer’s minds following the customary indulgences of the holiday period, the concern appears less pressing amongst supplement manufacturers, suggests recent findings.
A diet containing high calcium food products like dairy goods and certain vegetables may not alone serve as an effective means of reducing the risk of osteoporosis, say some nutritionists.
Launches of foods and beverages containing CoQ10 are on the upturn, after a slight dip in product introductions last year, according to figures provided by Mintel.
Companies need to do more to link health benefits and those particular ingredients that deliver them to capitalise on consumer interest, according to research commissioned by Beneo-Orafti.
Consumers are not sure whether they are gaining enough omega-3 from functional foods, says Mintel, and the ingredient could be best suited to dietary supplements after all.
Henry Hussell, European marketing manager for Cargill Sweetness, explains what the recent EU approval of erythritol's zero-calorie claim means for food manufacturers.
A Dutch researcher has found the world is not yet ready for nutrigenomics, with many unanswered questions existing around an idea that promises to match nutrition with genetics.
Fruit loving western Europeans are increasingly turning to beverages like juices, smoothies and nectars in their hunt for a more convenient health kick as regional sales of the products were up by 1.6 per cent last year to €23 billion, says new findings.
One of the first functional foods was a digestive health product – Yakult – a probiotic drink a Japanese scientist began selling in his home country in the 1930s.
Environmental and health concerns are merging, creating a huge surge in demand for products that meet consumer notions of “change”, according to new HealthFocus International research.
Consumers in the US are increasingly turning to soy as a healthy choice as they constantly change their eating habits to improve nutrition, according to a study from the United Soybean Board.
One quarter of Spain’s foods are functional, making it one of Europe’s most dynamic and successful market, according to a report presented recently to the EU-funded European Functional Foods Net.
Food manufacturers are well aware that, in order for a product to succeed, they must understand consumer wants and needs. But according to a new paper from Frost & Sullivan, they need to delve even deeper into the link between flavours and emotions.
The energy drinks market is embracing natural ingredients and “sustainable, longer lasting energy” according to a new international report from Business Insights.
NutraIngredients examines the omega-3 marketplace in the final instalment of a series that has scanned the scientific, regulatory and supply issues surrounding an ingredient that would appear to have everything.
Market researcher Leatherhead Food International (LFI) says satiety foods are growing in popularity but that manufacturers need to be careful not to alienate consumers.
Populations around the Mediterranean are abandoning their traditional healthy diets, the FAO has warned, as incomes increase and consumers opt for more meat, saturated fats and time-saving processed foods.
The wave of health and wellness comes ashore for chocolate makers,
with latest figures from Mintel showing the fresh healthier image
for dark chocolate has brought a much-need, and strident, upward
shift in sales for 2007.
Italians and women are the most interested western Europeans
in digestive health claims while Dutch are the least, according to
new consumer research funded by French fibre specialist Syral.
Peter Wennstrom, president of HealthFocus Europe, and a leading branding consultant, says the next big change in the nutrition industry is not about taste or convenience, but change it self.
Italy and Germany are the two largest single markets for
nutraceutical products in Western Europe, followed by the UK and
France, according to a recent market overview.
Functional foods have been one of the strongest sectors within the broader food industry for more than a decade but the good times may be coming to an end - at least in the UK, according to Mintel research.
Constantin Dallas from Fytexia tells NutraIngredients.com about the differences between the US and European weight loss markets, and the areas of potential his company has identified.
New fruit varieties under development by HortResearch which can be
higher in antioxidants compared to their more natural counterparts
are tapping into consumer's understanding and demand for healthy
products.
The increasing use of probiotics and antioxidants will continue to
develop in 2008 but products positioned at heart health will not
perform so well, a report has said.
The UK government is advising pregnant and breastfeeding women to
boost their intake of vitamin D during the winter, and is
initiating a campaign to spread the word amongst health care
practitioners as well as consumers.
Cranberry is no longer just for Christmas as growth in consumer
demand has helped the little red berry find its way into some 900
brand new products this year - a staggering rise from the 2006
position of 54 launches, according to...
The superfood and drink market is expected to almost double in the
ten year period up to 2011, says a report published today, with soy
products and exotic fruits leading the charge.
Chr Hansen's probiotic ingredients are to be used
in supplements marketed for children in Italy, thanks to
an agreement it says reflects the growing demand and opportunity
for pediatric probiotic supplements.
Sales of chocolate biscuits in the UK fell 17 per cent between 2001
and 2006 as consumers made the switch to healthier varieties,
according to new figures.
A green tea extract has been launched by Danisco as a food
ingredient, reinforcing the perceived benefits of the antioxidant
and its "consumer friendly" appeal.
People who are turning to complementary healthcare - including
green teas and echinacea - are set to spend £191m in Britain this
year alone, according to a new report.
Consumers are starting to recognise that some fats can actually be
good for them, stimulating growth in the market for polyunsaturated
fatty acids like omega-3 and CLA, says Leatherhead.
A developing demand for premium products such as those
made with alternative ingredients is keeping the UK crisps
market on a steady 2.5 per cent growth rate, Mintel says
in a new report.
With spring turning to summer, retailers are looking beyond
supplements for long-haul flights and hayfever by promoting
ingredients for holiday romance and more.
Functional foods from Japan are a source of inspiration for large
companies building the market in Europe, but there are some caveats
over the kinds of products consumers are likely to accept and the
need for scientific backing.
Consumers prioritise freshness and taste over appearance when it
comes to selecting peanut products, according to a new UK study
commissioned by the American Peanut Council (APC).
Awareness of lutein in Europe is growing year on year, according to
a new consumer survey that shows the potential of marketing to
expand the food supplements market in Europe.
