Fundamental shifts in wellness are being seen across many F&B applications as consumers seek out “the best of the best” while investing in their health and the planet’s health. FoodIngredientsFirst speaks to suppliers navigating the wellness sectors and evolving consumer demand and purchasing power. 

Casey McCormick, vice president of global innovation at Sweegen, says food and beverages supporting physical and mental well-being are attractive to consumers looking for “a nutritional edge” in their diets. 

“Innova Market Insights reports that 53% of global consumers say they have taken action to improve their physical well-being. Another 44% say that they have taken action to improve their mental and emotional well-being.”

Brands are responding with products that support health functions across F&B industries. 

Brands that tread in the wellness supporting space should prioritize taste while seeking to make better-for-you foods, says Sweegen.“Wellness boosts in immune health are surging, and following behind are foods and beverages supporting cognitive health, memory and mood. Probiotics in dairy products are also popular,” he highlights. 

The wellness transformation
Consumers are making more intentional choices around their food and beverage selecions, toward products they view as healthier and more sustainable, underscores Jeff Schmoyer, vice president and global head of consumer and sensory insights at Firmenich Taste & Beyond.

“We see this fundamental shift taking place globally, with several commonalities that transcend regional differences. More than just a shift, the scope of this evolution in consumer demand and behavior constitutes a true global ‘diet transformation,’” he asserts. 

According to Schmoyer, this transformation is taking place across three fundamental areas. 

“The first is a transformation into natural, seen in the demand for products with simple labels containing familiar ingredients with greater visibility across the value chain,” he details. 

“Next is a move toward better nutrition, which means reducing salt and sugar and adding functional ingredients to support immunity and well-being,” he continues.

“Finally, the adoption of alternative proteins that we deem the ‘Plant-based Revolution’.”

Meanwhile, McCormick at Sweegen also believes consumers’ approaches to healthy eating fall into three categories. “The first category is ‘Reductionism’, which is the consumer approach to reducing ingredients such as sugar, fat and salt.”

Meanwhile, “Naturalism” relates to consumers choosing natural products with clean ingredients free of artificial preservatives and additives. Finally, “Functionalism” is when consumers seek to boost their nutrition with an edge or benefit how the body functions, such as omegas for heart health, McCormick explains.

Shift to holistic wellness
According to Rachel Marshall, senior technical engagement manager, NZMP – Ingredients by Fonterra, consumers have moved to a holistic view, including mental and physical health. Believability of claims and ingredient benefits is crucial to F&B development, says NZMP.

“This is being responded to with F&B launches layering added health benefits that draw consumer attention,” she underscores. 

“In a 2021 global consumer study NZMP completed with Ipsos, we asked, ‘How important are each of the following aspects of well-being to you?’ And the top three areas of importance were sleep quality, cognitive health and immune health.”

Interestingly, consumers highlighted sleep as having several impacting factors, with the overwhelming front runner as being a key reason for poor sleep was stress, suggesting that stress management solutions may impact sleep for the better.

Marshall further details how stress management and sleep solutions are starting to gain increased traction, often in beverages and bars. “For example, Jimmy Bar and My Air Bars have a range of offerings to reach various mental health areas,” she adds.

According to NZMP, consumers find a range of formats appealing, from supplements to shelf-stable food and beverages. 

“From a consumer and processing perspective, applications with potential to offer enhanced wellness claims are broad, though typically need consideration for believability – such as in the case of when a high sugar, a high-fat solution may be less believable as being a valid vehicle for health and wellness compared to ‘healthier’ macronutrient composition,” Marshall notes. 

Embracing the plant-based movement 
As people increasingly look to enhance their personal well-being (as well as environmental well-being) by switching to more meat and dairy alternatives, we see an evolution in how consumers perceive and approach plant-based options, asserts Schmoyer. 

“They are no longer just incorporating more plant-based items as substitutes for animal products into their diet; they embrace them for their own value, opening new potential opportunities in the space.” 

According to Firmenich’s Schmoyer, this is evident through a “culture-driven fusion enabling more complex and adventurous combinations, as early flexitarian adopters and the so-called ‘protein explorers’ are driving more international flavors in plant-based menus.”

He believes they are taking adventurous journeys into the arena of alternative proteins as a whole, but with the addition of bolder flavor options. 

“Further potential lies in the ‘original classics’ such as tofu and tempeh,” he continues. “This is also the place wher botanical flavors can intersect and bring nature-inspired creativity and flavor dynamism while at the same time reinforcing plant-forward diets.”

What’s next in wellness?
Consumers are looking for wellness to be made easy – which includes messaging – to tell them what it does for them at a glance, which is a trend that NZMP increasingly sees in supplements wher they lead with the health benefit. 

According to Innova Market Insights, 53% of global consumers say they have taken action to improve their physical well-being.“One example of this is Olly’s “Goodbye Stress” gummies, vs. leading with an ingredient that consumers may not be educated about,” notes Marshall.

She also believes that wellness-supporting F&B has plenty of room for growth and expansion as new ingredient solutions emerge and consumer interest and understanding rise. 

“Better-for-you and wellness food and beverages are by no means new, but the claims that can be made are broadening, and the sensory quality and cost-effectiveness is improving and expected to continue to do so as technologies continue to evolve,” she comments. 

Meanwhile, Sweegen’s McCormick anticipates that consumers will aim for products that taste great and have unique functional ingredients to support gut health, brain health and whole-body replenishment. 

“Brands have plenty of opportunities to grow in this space, but the products must taste great for repeat purchases. Brands that tread in the wellness supporting space should prioritize taste while seeking to make better-for-you foods,” he notes.

“As we uncover the benefits of supplementing foods and investing in technologies to provide clean and reduced sugar solutions, more categories will thrive in the wellness supporting space.”

“On the horizon, plant-based foods and beverages supporting healthy aging have great potential,” he envisions. 

Another example is functional beverages supplemented with “highly sought-after antioxidants for boosting immune health and supporting healthy aging and gut-health fiber,” he adds.