With the emergence of bottled water as the No. 1 most-consumed beverage and the growth of better-for-you products like cold-pressed juices and ready-to-drink teas, it’s clear that many consumers are becoming more aware of their everyday health. In line with this trend, consumers have become more aware of the importance of supporting their immune systems on a consistent basis as a way to prevent illness before it happens.
With a hand in many of the trends impacting consumer packaged goods, millennials have played a role in the growth of natural, organic and non-GMO products. In conjunction with the demand for better-for-you products, consumers are looking for flavors that are perceived to be healthier.
There’s an idiom that talks about listening to one’s gut as a way to ward off something that doesn’t feel right. After the brain, the gastrointestinal tract, or gut, is the nervous system’s second-biggest network of closely interconnected neurons that greatly impacts overall health and well-being, experts say.
As physicist Albert Einstein once said: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” As today’s American consumers look to keep moving, they are turning to various forms of energy-inducing foods and beverages. However, in the spirit of Einstein’s quote, consumers also are in search of more balanced energy resources.
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new Nutrition Facts label, in conjunction with continued consumer demand for transparency, less sugar and clean-label products, have resulted in an increased demand for natural, non-caloric, high-intensity sweeteners (HIS), like stevia, monk fruit and erythritol.
Although the ad slogan, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” was developed in 1972 for the United Negro College Fund, it has since become part of the American vernacular. As consumers increasingly strive to improve their cognition and overall health and well-being, more products are being launched that target consumers’ need for improved memory, focus, concentration and mood, experts say.
The NFL playoffs are in full swing, but for a majority of football fans, they are left waiting for next year. From now until the draft takes place at the end of April in Philadelphia, super fans will be keeping a watchful eye on mock draft predictions. Although these football analysts invest a lot of time and research into these mock drafts, prognosticating the outcomes for 32 different teams is no easy feat.
In the beverage industry, trends like clean label and non-GMO are resonating with consumers. Fortified/functional (FF) beverages also have maintained their upward trajectory growing by 6 percent as health-conscious consumers seek out premium products with added vitamins and minerals, according to Chicago-based Euromonitor International’s April report “Fortified/Functional Beverages in the US.”
With a growing interest in getting back to nature, consumer demand for natural ingredients has flourished. As beverage-makers formulate new products, more now are choosing natural colors to appeal to this consumer desire.
When it comes to consumer packaged goods (CPGs), consumers are faced with myriad choices. There are beverages designed to fuel their bodies before a big game, give them energy to power through busy days or to simply help boost immunity.