In our latest research on the top trends that will drive food and beverage innovation this year, we have revealed that consumers are moving away from ‘passive consumption’ and seeking out products that fulfil a desire for sustainable choices as well as personal health & wellness.
Enjoying healthy eating
2024 the year of the ‘conscious consumer’
Trend #2: consumers take health into their own hands
The consumer preoccupation with health & wellness that was fueled by the pandemic has become an enduring trend rooted in a desire to live longer, healthier and better. “Health has been on trend lists for many years as consumers started looking to get more from their food. However, since the pandemic people have started taking more responsibility for proactively managing their health, with one approach being through diet,” says Joanna Self, Americas Strategic Marketing Director at Brenntag.
Healthy indulgence
Going forwards, we see products that support ‘healthy indulgence’ playing a lead role here, as mindsets shift away from diets as denial and towards enjoying healthy eating. “People want to indulge but they also want to ensure that what they are putting into their bodies is good for them. Therefore, products that deliver a wellness factor, either from the addition of something positive or the removal of something negative, as well as delivering on taste, and on the money; Brenntag has a raft of solutions for either of those versions of health, whether that is adding prebiotic fibre or reducing the fat or sugar content,” says Joanna.
The theme of healthy indulgence is also in evidence in the supplement space, where playful formats that blur the boundaries between confectionery and supplement are gaining popularity over pharmaceutical-like tablets. “Consumers want to take proactive steps to improve their health, but in their minds, traditional supplements are close to medicine. This is one of the reasons why, in Europe, we are seeing the rise of gummies, shots and drinks,” says Justyna Rynkiewicz, Market Insight Manager, Nutrition, at Brenntag EMEA.
Sharp segmentation and concrete claims needed
To appeal to the conscious consumer, health & wellness products need to be highly segmented to ‘fulfeel’ their specific needs.“The health & wellness market is becoming a lot more diverse in terms of the products on offer, which range from jelly beans to beverages, and the health benefits they offer. This reflects the demands of conscious consumers - a one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it; these are savvy consumers who are looking for specific benefits and ingredients,” says Sherlyn Sim, APAC Strategic Marketing Director at Brenntag.
Conscious consumers will have done their homework on ingredients, so they often know what they want. This tends to be either local traditional ingredients with a history of usage such as ashwagandha in India, or science-based ingredients with concrete claims, such as vitamin & mineral complexes and branched chain amino acids. Brenntag has the in-house regulatory expertise to advise customers on compliance with health claims in individual markets.