Visualise entering your local grocery store and going straight to the beverage aisle: what do you expect to see? Yes, the traditional carbonated beverages but also a sizable section dedicated to beverages promoting health benefits and/or healthy ingredients.
Now, visualise entering your local grocery store and going straight to the beverage aisle 5 years ago: what do you expect to see?
This is how much the functional market has grown in just a few years. I used the example of the beverage aisle rather than the bakery, deli or any other aisle to convey the phenomenal progress of the functional market because drinks make up 62% of this $41 billion US market. Their large contribution is due to several reasons:
The energy drink. Energy drinks have paved the way for cognition, digestive health and other condition-specific products to enter the market; they are the pioneer of the functional market. Consumers’ familiarisation with this instantly gratifying beverage has caused an increase in interest and willingness to try other functional beverages.
This willingness to experiment has yet to be established in food segments. Although functional baked goods and snack foods have witnessed rising interest, it is not to the momentous level that beverages have reached. Consumers are much more inclined to consume an exotic new drink than a cookie containing unique ingredients.
The on-the-go factor. Particularly with the delivery formats available to beverages (ready-to-drink, stickpacks, etc.), they make it much more convenient for the busy consumer.
Easier innovation. Although it depends on the individual, most product developers find it less difficult to formulate a beverage than a food. Although developing beverages has its challenges, there is more opportunity to incorporate exotic ingredients and unusual combinations. And as consumers shift their demand from fortified products to products containing natural ingredients with inherent health benefits, the possibilities for beverages are only growing with countless botanicals at a formulator’s fingertips.
It is evident that companies have taken notice of these growing possibilities with news of acquisitions, new product line launches and healthy modifications to existing products happening almost every day. As manufacturers take advantage of the booming functional beverage market and formulators become even more creative, there are certain attributes that must be taken into account. Although it may be easier to innovate drinks than foods, there are still restrictions in formulating.
Solubility
Ingredient solubility is obviously the number one property to consider when creating a beverage. For most beverages, including shots, extracts or very small amounts of powders are recommended; water-soluble extracts are best to utilise. However, for thicker or cloudier beverages, powders can occasionally be properly incorporated … as thickening agents can suspend the powder and cloudy beverages (such as milk-based coffees and teas) can conceal that the powder is not completely soluble.
Texture and Mouthfeel
Once the type of beverage is determined, the texture and mouthfeel of the product should have can be identified. Texture and mouthfeel are usually not affected by botanical ingredients; but, as with any food or beverage application, you still have to be cautious as to whether they could improve or worsen the overall appeal of the product.
Serving Size and Use Level
As the main purpose of a functional beverage is to provide the consumer with a health benefit, it is particularly important for product developers to utilise accurate use levels of the beneficial ingredients. Even if the beverage tastes delicious, a consumer will not purchase the product again if they don’t see results; they could find a better tasting, less expensive version in a conventional drink.
Flavour
Bitterness is usually the major issue when it comes to utilising botanical ingredients in beverages. The bitterness can be overcome by adding masking agents and bold flavours, or it can also be minimised by adjusting use levels. This is when shots sometimes provide a better platform for botanical ingredients than other beverage types as individuals consume shots for the actives, not the flavor — more bitterness is allowed.
Shelf-Life
Powder beverage mixes typically last longer in terms of active compounds; once actives are dissolved in liquid, they usually degrade a little faster than in powder form. However, formulators are able to include an overage to compensate for lost actives with time.
Although product developers need to keep the overall picture in mind, to formulate the ideal functional beverage each aspect of the drink must be taken into consideration and each of the above steps must be addressed. Keep in mind that each product development is unique and the order or specifics might be a little different. With a limitless variety of botanical ingredients and combinations, companies are fully capable of taking advantage of this growing functional beverage market … but formulation is key.
