Functional Beverage Trends

The U.K., France and Germany continue to lead the pack in terms of product
introductions.

By Joerg Gruenwald

Functional beverages represent a growing segment within functional foods in Europe. What started in Japan with Yakult more than 50 years ago has advanced to be one of the more dynamic and exciting playing fields for manufacturers. Functional beverages are primarily influenced by nutraceutical ingredients in the form of isolated substances and food extracts.

So what is the state of the European functional beverage market, what claims are in the forefront in which countries, and what does this tell us about the consumers of these products?

Interestingly, of the new products launched in Europe during the past year, the overwhelming majority have been unflavored or plain, reflecting consumers’ desire for no artificial additives—a trend that seems to have spilled over from other product categories. Orange and fruit are the most popular flavors after that, followed by lemon and apple.

Looking at claims used in new products across Europe from No-vember 2006 to November 2007, the majority claimed “no additives/preservatives,” which, again, reflects consumers’ preference for natural beverages. In accordance with rising concerns about obesity, the number of products with “low/no/reduced sugar” came in second. In third place were “vitamin/mineral fortified” products, followed by “organic” and “all-natural.” The sixth highest number of new products launched be-tween November 2006 and November 2007 claimed “low/no/ reduced calories.” (Figure 1.)

“Low/no/reduced fat” is a claim of-ten used in the functional yogurt category, which is included in this analysis. However, functional claims that relate to antioxidant capacity are not yet as prevalent compared to other claims.

Looking at the individual EU countries, the U.K. introduced the most new beverage products between November 2006 and November 2007, followed by France, Germany and The Netherlands.

“No additives/preservatives” is the claim most often used in the U.K., followed by “low/no/reduced sugar,” “all-natural,” and “organic.” This reflects a trend in consumers’ desire for unadulterated foods and beverages, a trend that is noticeable across all food categories and not just in the U.K. Germany, for instance, also launched the highest number of products with the claim “no additives/preservatives,” followed by “low/no/reduced sugar” and “organic.” “All-natural” is a claim that is only beginning to gain a foothold with German consumers. France, too, launched the majority of its new products with the claims “no additives/preservatives” and “low/no/ reduced sugar,” following by “all natural.” Other European countries tend to follow the trends set by the U.K., France and Germany. (Figure 2.)

Interestingly, the number of new functional beverages has spiked sharply in France compared to the other EU countries. Looking at the respective products, we’re seeing everything from functional teas such as Unilever’s Lipton Elephant Detox Infusions; anti-aging functional drinks such as the organic herbal tea Caudalie, which is positioned as part of its “vino-therapy skincare” brand; products with antioxidant and/or eye care claims such as Ocean Spray’s Cranberry & Blueberry Drink; products such as St. Yorre Strong Mint Flavour Water, which is claimed to improve oral hygiene; and products like L’Or Vitalité by Maison du Café, which is a coffee-based drink enriched with guarana.

This small sampling offers an excellent view of the broadness of the functional beverage category in France. They address many areas, including anti-aging, energy, antioxidant, wellness and relaxation, mostly as teas or juices, but also as near-water or drinking yogurt products. It remains to be seen if this is a trend that will flood other parts of Europe, or if it will remain specific to France.

One of the newest functional beverage products to enter the European marketplace in 2007 was Alixir by Italian manufacturer Barilla. Alixir is a new brand of functional, “sophisticated” and healthy food and beverage products said to help consumers find the secret to a longer and better life. The brand comprises four separate sub-ranges focusing on particular health attributes, among them Alixir Reguralis (for digestive health), an orange and carrot drink claimed to improve intestinal function.

Functional claims for all products must be substantiated by well-controlled clinical trials and we see a strong increase in requests for solid clinical trials for functional beverages. Expect more good science to come from this segment in the future.NW