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Functional beverages and the current trends in the sector
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Friday, 13 December, 2019, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
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Dr Prakash Kondekar
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Global demand for functional beverages is increasing day by day, due to many innovations taking place. Gut health and energy requirements by many sports people, remain two of the leading category trends. There is also a newly created demand in categories like sleep, immune support and cognition. Making beverages healthier, is a tough job for technocrats due to many challenges. Sometimes product is very healthy but the taste is not acceptable to the consumers. When there is reduction of sugar in the beverages, the taste can be prohibitive. Other challenges will be like smooth processing of the beverages. If ingredient is not water- soluble then the beverage can be cloudy and not easily acceptable.
Although many of the beverages, including beer, wine and tea, have been around for hundreds of years, the industry has developed only over the past four decades, in India. The beverage products industry, viewed as an aggregate group, is highly fragmented. This is evident by the number of manufacturers, methods of packaging, production processes and final products. The soft drink industry is the exception to the rule, as it is quite concentrated. Although the beverage industry is fragmented, ongoing consolidation since the 1970s is changing that.
Solubilisation and emulsification
Some of the hurdles in the development of functional beverages are, solubilisation and emulsification. Also issues, like increased cost, increased dose and reduced functionality. Many consumers also prefer GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms)-free products. Many fuctional beverages contain more than 20 gm of sugars and sugar-free versions often contain Ace K (acesulfame potassium), sucralose or aspertame, which may be disliked by consumers.
The range of functional ingredients has been a well-established fact in functional beverage industry. Most accepted, commonly incorporated strains in the beverage industry Lactobicillus acidiphilus, L rhamnosus, L casci and bifido bacterium bifidum. Commercial dairy beverages are often further enriched for Omega 3 acids and alpha linoleic acid, eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), useful in lipid levels and cardiovascular markers. Moreover, dairy is frequently the carrier in fibre-fortified beverages containing fructooligosaccarides (FOS), Beta glucon or inulin. Vitamins and minerals are easily added in dairy and plant based products. Health will be a key concern that will only grow in importance, year by year.
Healthier lifestyle and wellness
Health is important to many consumers and how to achieve a healthier lifestyle and wellness thereafter, is more accessible than ever before. Increased awareness about the impact of what one puts in his or her body on overall wellness has resulted in a variety of beverages targeted toward personal lifestyle goals.
Manufacturers of functional beverages suggest that their products can help achieve many of these above demands in a better way. Recent Natural Products Expo East trade shows, have shown that a number of beverages that promote rest or sleep are in good demand.
Of late there are many functional beverages in the market that can be used as an alternative to food supplements. Many of the beverages are using ingredients that help to get restful sleep like melatonin, lemon balm, lavender and L-theanine. It is important to note, that the ingredients in the product will affect if the product can be labelled as a beverage.
New trends in beverage market
These include use of L-theanine, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and melatonin, 5-hydroxytryptophan, magnesium and L-theanine combined with pomegranate, acai and blueberry extracts. For immunity enhancement, Vitamin C and probiotics are popular ingredients. But now, certain types of mushrooms and turmeric are also being used.
Natural Products, Bee’s Water, which is a honey water that features, the immune boosting properties of honey and antioxidant vitamins A, C and E are added, category of functional beverage, that helps in mental health improvement. Beverages that utilise ingredients like L-theanine extract, creatine and CoQ10 can also be found in energy drinks, pre-workout products marketed to active consumers and athletes.
In the energy category there has been a shift toward using naturally energising ingredients like green tea, guarana, ginseng and yerba mate in addition to or replacing caffeine fortification.
With the many available functional ingredients in the market and technology to take care of formulations, efficacious and tasty products can be innovated easily.
As buying behaviour continues to advance online, functional food and beverage brands will continue to see massive e-commerce growth in 2019. About 70% consumers consider, food and beverages with added fortified benefits, are appealing.
One Market Research study expects natural and organic energy drinks sales will reach $32 billion by 2025, which accounts for nearly 40% of the market.
(The author is hon director at Indian Institute of Naturopathy, Mumbai. He can be contacted at drprakashk5@hotmail.com)
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