March 6, 2009

1 Min Read
Quality Starts Within

Ingredients inside lead to foods, drinks and supplements consumers crave today

The single most consistent trend occurring at the intersection of health, wellness and food is the redefinition of quality. Consumers are looking under the hood of foods and beverages and watching for functional ingredients that address their health concerns, from specific maladies such as osteoporosis to general graceful ageing. A Friday Expo West panel added their insights on ingredients consumers are gravitating to in front of a standing-room crowd of retailers, manufacturers and product formulators.

High-quality foods are healthy and address health concerns. Three macro-trends are beauty products, condition-specific items, specifally weight management.

“Two-thirds actively seek calcium and antioxidants; one-half seek green tea, fiber, omega-3s, and other added vitamins; one-third look for ginseng and pomegranate,” said Kantha Shelke, PhD, principal of Korvus Blue, a Chicago consultancy. “Frivolous is out and prevention is in.”

Real food ingredients are also in. Elisa Bosley, senior food editor at Delicious Living, noted the macro food trends of increased fibre to natural and alternative sweeteners and superfruits. She also brought up the burgeoning consumers trends gravitating to foods that are free from or lower in unhealthy ingredients – witness the low-sodium and gluten-free movements.

The science behind major growth ingredients was presented by Todd Runestad, science editor at Functional Ingredients magazine. “The five foods for the future include synbiotics – the combination of probiotics and their prebiotic fibre ‘lunch box’ – vitamin K2, vitamin D3, superfruits, and nutrients derived sustainably through fermentation.”

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