Demand for functional beverages is growing, and health is the primary choice

Changes and upgrades in life concepts and consumer needs will change the development direction of the beverage industry, especially since the epidemic, people are biased towards functional and healthy beverage choices, and recently according to a new report from Irish ingredient manufacturer Kerry, immune health is still the main concern
of functional beverage consumers.
The study also found that consumers are increasingly blurring the distinction
between dietary supplements and functional beverages.
The report includes feedback
from more than 10,000 consumers in 18 countries across all CPG markets around the world.

Kerry's research concluded that ingredients have become something
consumers specifically look for on functional beverage labels.
"Functional ingredients are gaining acceptance
as consumers look to achieve specific health goals from supplements and everyday beverages," Kerry said.
The company notes that the intersection between the supplement and beverage spaces is becoming more common
.
This means that cross-platform innovation must be part of
a company's future innovation strategy, according to the report.

Cross-platform opportunities are also growing
.
Research cited in the report shows that the global energy drinks market is expected to grow at an annual rate of more than 10% by 2026, reaching $200 billion
by the end of the year.
The U.
S.
market occupies a large piece of the pie, and the energy drink market is currently worth about $38 billion
.
Meanwhile, other studies cited in the report suggest that at least 82 percent of consumers in the surveyed market now use supplements
occasionally.

"As the traditional boundaries between nutraceuticals and beverages become increasingly blurred, there are huge opportunities
in functional and fortified beverages.
" Soumya Nair, director of global consumer research and insights at Kerry, said
.

The report found that consumers may also be willing to pay more for
these additional benefits.
Kerry said 86 percent of consumers surveyed said they would be willing to buy more expensive functional drinks
that offer additional health benefits.
Of those, 74 percent said they would be willing to pay at least a 6 percent premium for such a product
.

In addition, Kerry found that functional beverage consumers value the most important functions (in order of the number of each function mentioned by consumers):

Skin health -- 51%; Immune Support – 44% Healthy Hair Support – 44%; Digestive/gut health42% heart health – 42%; Muscle recovery -- 39%; Energy support - 39%; endurance (athletic performance) - 38%; Bone health -- 38%.

The health awareness of the majority of consumers is constantly awakening, and they will not give up the original pursuit of the taste of the product itself, which accelerates the speed of beverage product innovation, it is expected that the functional beverage industry will gain growth momentum in 2022, in recent years, many brands have launched raw materials and products with the main immune function to attract more consumers, lead the market trend, break the homogenization of products through ingredient innovation and other ways, perhaps the key
to winning in the fierce market competition.