The demands on brands and suppliers to fulfill consumer’s desire to eat healthy foods has never been higher than today. With millennials becoming increasingly more aware of the benefits of functional foods through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter (and others).
The health benefits of vitamins and minerals are known to consumers thanks to mainstream media coverage while the public’s obsession with living healthy lifestyles has meant that the benefits of probiotics, prebiotics, and omega 3 fatty acids are rising.
Ingredient suppliers strive to develop new health-giving products, marketers are minded that today’s consumers are much more likely to be enticed by buying everyday products and ingredients they understand, as opposed to scientific-sounding ingredients they may not.
Can’t be compromised when it comes to taste
One simple rule of thumb for functional food brands to follow is that today’s consumers won’t be compromised when it comes to taste and long gone are the days when consumers expect foods which are good for them to be unpleasant tasting, experts say.
Weight management, nutrition, and energy are commonly seen as the key drivers behind the rise in functional foods. With baby boomers and the health-engaged and exercise-conscious continuing to be important for the growth in functional foods niche.
Millennials are now likely to be the biggest spenders on foods fortified with calcium, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Younger people are more concerned about becoming healthy. They are always looking at their phone, looking at Instagram, and looking at health bloggers. They have, compared to the older generation, a much broader idea of what health is.
The term functional foods may have become ingrained in the public consciousness in a positive way, but experts warn that it is important for functional foods brands not to lose sight of what consumers want.