Weight management is one of the key trends identified by Euromonitor analyst Ewa Hudson when examining the future of the functional food and beverage market.
Other trends highlighted include a quest for cheaper products, an expansion of probiotics into other health categories and applications, and a focus on beauty from within. To read those articles, click here .
Speaking to NutraIngredients-USA.com, Hudson said satiety is set to a big focus in the market for weight management in food and beverages.
“There will be a big shift from food minus to food plus. Before, we had the idea of removing food or components from our diets. But now the concept of food plus – which is centered around satiety – will become a key focus,” she said.
What does the market say?
A post market analysis from Mintel’s GNPD identifies 990 new global launches in 2008 of food and beverage products that make weight management claims on their label. This compares to 267 new launches in 2005, 185 in 2006 and 890 in 2007.
Taking a closer look at the North American market, new introductions came in at 241 last year, compared with 98 in 2005, 31 in 2006 and 198 in 2007. Europe saw 120 launches in 2005, 111 in 2006, 442 in 2007 and 476 last year.
According to Hudson, the bulk of new product launches in the weight management category are still those remove certain ingredients to avoid weight gain. “These products still sell well, but the concept of satiety is getting more attention,” she said.
Foods marketed for satiety enhance feelings of fullness after eating, acting as a boost to a person's will-power and helping them avoid a reversion to old habits in a bid to stave off hunger pangs, or 'grazing' in between meals.
Three categories of weight management
In a report published last year, Euromonitor again stresses the potential of ingredients that can aid weight management.
The report, entitled Weight management ingredients in food and beverages, gives three categories for ingredients intended to help trim waist lines: those that suppress the appetite or induce satiety; those that boost metabolism or fat-burning; and those that inhibit digestion or fats or carbohydrates.
However, from a consumer perspective, says the report, foods that actually add a health ingredient, rather than taking away unhelpful nutrients, are intriguing and attractive.
The retail market for weight management products was estimated by Euromonitor International to be worth $3.7bn in the US in 2008, compared to $3.93bn in 2005. In Europe, the market was valued at $1.4bn in 2008 compared to $0.93bn in 2005.
Some of the leading ingredients in the weight management category include whey, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) soy and dietary fiber.