2 minute read
Future trendspotting
Immunity Innovation: Fermented botanicals
Botanicals are the most frequently cited ingredients in food and drink patents related to immune health support, accounting for 40% of patent filings in the past 10 years, followed by probiotics with 35%.54 However, a recent increase in patent filings for fermented botanical extracts suggests they could be the next on-trend ingredient for enhancing immunity 55
Pulmuone recently patented a Bacillus-fermented ginger and red ginseng extract while WellFine patented fermented leek extract The companies, both South Korean, claim the functional ingredients have a synergistic effect in strengthening the body’s immune system
Green and clean: Upcycled ingredients
Sustainability is influencing all food and drink categories, and the nutrition sector is no different. Demands for ‘green and clean’ products are being principally driven by younger generations with just under onethird (32%) of Millennials and one-quarter (25%) of Gen Z consumers saying they almost always or usually base purchase decisions on sustainability, compared to just 17% of Baby Boomers 56
Upcycled foods, made with ingredients that would not have been eaten otherwise, are well-positioned to meet these demands
US start-up ReGrained uses brewers’ spent grain – a nutritious and fibre-packed grain leftover from beer production – to make snack bars while British fruit jerky bar manufacturer Snact and Ecuadorian superfood smoothie maker Takay use fruit rejected by retailers for aesthetic reasons Caskai uses cascara, the polyphenol-rich, sun-dried husks from coffee cherries, to make a lightly carbonated soft drink
In 2020, academics and industry stakeholders agreed on an official definition of upcycled foods that will be used for future product certification, indicating that a rise in future activity is on the horizon.57
Eying up an opportunity: Vision health
As computers, tablets, and smartphones become indissociable from everyday life, protecting eye health could become a top concern
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that US children aged between 11 and 14 spend nearly nine hours each day in front of a screen,58 and research suggests the combination of increased screen time and less time spent outdoors could be harmful to vision, increasing the risk of myopia In 2000, around 23% of the global population was affected by myopia; today, the figure is around 50%.59
This trend will drive interest in ingredients believed to protect eye health, such as lutein and zeaxanthin Both are still niche – only 17% of global consumers have heard of lutein while even fewer people (10%) have heard of zeaxanthin – but half of the consumers who are familiar with these nutrients associate them with improved eye health, according to an FMCG Gurus survey 60
US company Life Extension has launched gummies for ‘digital eye support’ that contain a blend of lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin said to filter blue light, and marigold extract said to improve the eye’s photostress response.
In China, Love Vision developed a passion fruit-flavoured drinking yoghurt that contains lutein esters to help protect and relieve tired eyes, as well as taurine and vitamins A and E to improve night vision 61
Bringing the global food and health Bringing the global food and health ingredients industry together digitally ingredients industry together digitally
Regions in the Spotlight 12-23 April 2021
Regions in the Spotlight 12-23 April 2021 Health Ingredients in the Spotlight 14-18 June 2021
