"SALUTE"... HERE'S TO GOOD HEALTH

Like many other countries, New Zealand feels the effects of a cost-of-living crisis. Rocketing food, energy and property prices are hitting consumers' wallets, causing changes in spending behaviour.

As a result, many consumers are looking to save money by eating and drinking at home. This has led to an increase in Craft Alcohol. New Zealand drinkers have been drawn towards craft products thanks to the broader trend towards moderation, leading consumers to prize quality over quantity. Consumers are also becoming more aware of locally owned vs. big corporate brands resulting in location and regionality starting to play critical factors in purchase decisions.

The future of the beverage category is functional health. Consumers increasingly seek a health benefit from anything they consume, whether a functional claim or a health halo effect. Functional health claims can further improve the permissibility of beverages.

Brands can use beverages to deliver functional health benefits to help improve immunity, enhance relaxation, improve focus, and support an active lifestyle. Botanicals add an authentic taste to products, associating health benefits and an added health halo effect. Experts note that adaptogens, utilised in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for more than 1,000 years, are growing in popularity globally in the functional beverage space. Some common botanicals and adaptogens include turmeric, ginger, lions mane, passionflower, green tea, green coffee, aloe vera, guarana, saffron, amla, Rhodiola, basil, nata de coco, and yerbamate. Meanwhile, functional and health claims, for example, vitamin or mineral fortified, remain niche but are gaining share.

Low or no alcoholic beverages are also on the rise. A study has recently reported that 'younger and middle-aged beer drinkers (18-44) in the United Kingdom tend to favour low-alcohol over no-alcohol options, while low and no-alcohol options are equally popular among those aged 45 and over.

The industry is also tackling concerns around sugar with increasing launches using claims such as sugar-free, no added sugar or reduced sugar. New Zealand has yet to follow the lead of other nations with a sugar tax. One of the primary drivers of alcohol choice by Millennials, who hold the largest share (62 percent) of RTD purchases, is flavour. Yet many Millennials think alcoholic RTDs are excessively sweet, with more than 30 percent of Millennial alcohol drinkers reporting they often avoid alcoholic RTDs because they are too high in sugar.

Floral and botanical flavours like Bush Honey, Hibiscus, Lavender, and Cherry Blossom, offer the health halo effect. Bold, juicy fruits like Yuzu, finger lime, calamansi and tangelo are trending amongst consumers in 2023. Classic sweet flavours are no longer favoured. Consumers are wanting to pair sweet flavours with savoury and salt. Think Margaritas.

Sherratt's offers quality flavours produced by Essential Flavours. For anyone needing to quench their thirst for future beverage flavours, contact Sherratt Ingredients, technical experts and applications facilities to support your new development.

The Benefits Of Extending Shelf Life

In the era of sustainability, rising ingredient and energy prices, and climate-driven food poverty, reducing waste by extending shelf life is more imperative than ever.

To address these multifaceted pressures, Campden BRI has launched a new e-book, Maximising Shelf Life, in which its experts share valuable insights on how the combination of packaging and processes needs to be optimised to reduce waste and increase the shelf life while maintaining consumer confidence without compromising product safety or quality.

Studies by climate-action NGO WRAP from the last decade suggested that approximately 50 percent of consumer food waste can be prevented simply by extending the shelf life of products. The World Health Organisation puts this into context. Global reversal of food waste could save enough spoiled food to feed two billion people worldwide.

Microbial profiling, superchilling, heat pasteurisation and modified atmosphere packaging are just a few of the preservation techniques that food and beverage processors can adopt. Yet, with so many different quality, waste, sensory, taste and production factors to consider, uncovering the best and most sustainable option to extend the shelf life of individual fresh, frozen, ambient and bottled brands can feel like an endurance test.

Given the volume of interconnecting factors, Campden BRI's Maximising Shelf Life e-book explains step-by-step the approach food and beverage processors need to consider for any shelf-life extension project, including how its scientific processing and packaging experts can assist with uncovering, validating, reviewing, proving and implementing a shelf life strategy aligned to individual product applications that meet HACCP and country-specific food safety legislation.

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