Functional Food

FrieslandCampina Ingredients eyes ‘pockets of growth’ with new child nutrition portfolio

28-Sep-2023 By Teodora Lyubomirova

The company is pivoting its dairy-derived early life nutrition ingredients into a portfolio designed to enhance the nutritional value of products aimed at children aged 3 and up.

MOSH secures $3m in Series A funding to add “fuel on the fire” for brand growth

23-Aug-2023 By Ryan Daily

Better-for-you brand MOSH is preparing to take its brain-health-focused protein bars to a wider audience with the help of $3m in Series A funding, which will provide financial support as the company looks to make a bigger push into retail, brand co-founder...

Soybean curd boosts dietary fiber, protein content in ice cream

22-Aug-2023 By Teodora Lyubomirova

Okara, a by-product from tofu and soy milk production, can improve the fiber and protein content of ice cream – but does it taste good?

Agave fructan jelly relieves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome: Study

15-Aug-2023 By Asia Sherman

Consuming a prebiotic agave fructan jelly could reduce visceral hypersensitivity with short-chain fatty acids, attenuate anxiety and modulate brain activity in irritable bowel syndrome patients with constipation, according to a recent study. The findings...

TurtleTree’s animal-free lactoferrin LF+ promises to democratize highly-prized, scarce multifunctional milk protein

07-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Known as pink gold for its iron-rich rosy hue, high price point and supply scarcity, the bioactive milk protein lactoferrin has been mostly limited to infant formula and dietary supplements in small doses – but that could soon change thanks to advances...

Sales growth of natural, organic products continues to drop but holds long-term promise

14-Mar-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The drop in US sales growth of natural and organic products following the 10% pantry-stocking surge early in the pandemic will linger well into 2023 – dropping to less than 4% before starting to climb again slowly to about 5% in 2024, according to analysis...

‘Beyond the usual suspects’: Report scrapes social media to identify emerging trends

31-Jan-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Used by Nestlé, PepsiCo, Givaudan, Campbell’s, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Dole, and more, Tastewise, the AI-powered real-time food intelligence solution, is sharing the top consumer food and beverage trends for 2022.

Milk does a body good: 12 startups featuring functional benefits of California dairy compete for $650,000 in prize funds

29-Jul-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

From immunity- and metabolism-boosting kefir to a sugar-free lassi that supports mental clarity to trendy boba lattes optimized for performance and recovery, the 12 semi-finalists in the Real California Milk Excelerator are reinforcing the old adage “milk...

Marketing shortfalls hold dairy back from seizing full potential offered by demand for functional products

02-Jul-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Packed with protein, shortfall nutrients, antioxidants and more, dairy is well-positioned to meet rising consumer demand for functional foods and beverages, but a seemingly blasé approach to marketing and on-pack claims is holding the category back from...

$10.5m fundraise helps GEM take on ‘reductionist’ supplement industry with whole food bites featuring ‘untapped’ ingredients

11-May-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

An infusion of $10.5m in seed funding will accelerate the consumer life sciences company GEM’s mission to overhaul the $140.3b supplement market by replacing “reductionist” pills, tablets and candies with whole food bites designed to improve the health...

Functional foods, beverages & hemp, CBD sales held back as shopping habits shift during pandemic

04-Mar-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Even as consumers seek ingredients that promise to boost their immunity, reduce their stress and support their well-being, sales of functional foods and beverages were held back in 2020 compared to organic due to shifting shopping preferences away from...

Blue Stripes blends whimsy, functional health & sustainability to start a ‘whole cacao revolution’

20-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Cacao currently may be most prized by manufacturers and mainstream consumers for its beans to make chocolate, cocoa and cocoa butter, but the fruit and shell surrounding the bean also are packed with nutrients and potential, which famed chocolatier Oded...

Mighty Gum’s vitamin-infused chewing gum “is designed to help you feel as fresh as your breath”

06-Feb-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

For many Americans, chewing gum is a way to avoid bad breath, yellow teeth, or unhealthy cravings, but the founder of the Seattle-based startup Mighty Gum believes the format can do more than simply mask symptoms – it can offer a holistic solution to...

Interest in nostalgic, indulgent flavors rise to balance functional ingredients’ off-notes, Kerry predicts

21-Jan-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers may want healthier, better-for-them products, but that doesn’t mean they want food or beverages that taste healthier and better-for-them, which is why the taste and nutrition company Kerry predicts that nostalgic, indulgent flavors will become...

The Pinterest 100: Functional ingredients, plant-based eating, fast meals & more pique pinners’ interest

13-Dec-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Each month more than 250 million people use Pinterest to discover and share ideas, including what to eat and drink, giving the social media platform the ability to spot and track emerging trends early in the adoption cycle, which when leveraged by savvy...

What’s driving growth in functional food and beverages? A convergence of nutrition, convenience and taste

27-Sep-2013 By Maggie Hennessy

With the global market for functional foods and beverages on track to reach $176.7 billion this year, this booming category now accounts for 5% of the overall food market and is driving growth for the food industry as a whole, according to Euromonitor. 

Special edition: Asia

Korea: 'Stringent' regulations promote functional food potential

22-Sep-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The Korean functional food market hinges on obtaining the nation’s precious ingredient claim approval, but breaking that barrier opens the floodgates to huge market potential, according to an industry expert.

Healthy ingredients makers court mainstream food at IFT

30-Jul-2007 By Clarisse Douaud at IFT in Chicago

IFT Expo is bridging the gap between dietary supplement ingredients
and mainstream food manufacturers, with companies who once focused
on nutrition in a capsule now looking to supply functional food
ingredients.

Functional foods market as strong as ever

07-May-2004

Opportunities for food manufacturers and ingredients firms are set
to burgeon in the UK functional food marketplace with new Mintel
research forecasting that the £835 million market will double in
the next five years to £1.7 billion....

Frutarom spears functional food market

22-Apr-2004

Flavours and extracts firm Frutarom has gained the worldwide
marketing rights to a range of natural antioxidants made by
Israel's RAD Natural Technologies, boosting its offering to health
and functional food makers.