For a long time, consumers have been interested in food/products that help alleviate stress, anxiety, and sleep problems, which is also a priority issue for people around the world. Young consumers are particularly concerned about diet and nutrition, hoping to gain health benefits from food. With the changes in nutritional "rules" and the evolution of demand states, new business opportunities have emerged. According to the latest consumer research in New Nutrition Business, approximately 21% of Americans say that the food they eat can improve their emotional and mental health. Especially young people are more interested in foods that can improve their mood and mental state. 30% of Americans aged 25-34 are interested in this, while only 12% of people aged 65 and above are interested.
01
The development potential of probiotics
Probiotics are one of the components that can be utilized for deep development. The relationship between the gut and the brain has received widespread attention, and probiotics are also considered a representative of health. Nowadays, many dairy brands are talking about probiotics, digestive health, and immunity, to the extent that these benefits no longer have unique appeal. Therefore, in addition to products that aid digestion, adding products that are beneficial to emotions and spirits will be a way for more probiotic brands to expand their appeal. A Swedish company has launched a probiotic product that can solve emotional, sleep, and stress problems, targeting the market for brain emotional supplements. The company stated that in the past 5 years, this market has grown by 30%. 02
Mushrooms have become mainstream
More and more mushroom varieties seem to play an important role in building emotional and psychological markets. One example is the monkey head mushroom, a fungus with a unique appearance that has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. It is highly valued in Chinese Herbal medicine for its ability to help people adapt to stress. The emotional and psychological markets are driven by consumers, not marketing. Ingredients like mushrooms do not have mainstream appeal, but some young people actively seek information about mushrooms and other foods from social media. These consumers have already identified the raw materials and health benefits of the products to be purchased before making a purchase. 03
"Hyperlinks" with regular food
For consumers, functional foods are closely related to regular foods in improving their emotional and mental health. Utilizing the natural functional advantages of food, research is being conducted on the impact on cognitive health, such as New Zealand blackcurrants (with high anthocyanin content) and L-theanine in green tea, emphasizing functions such as "maintaining clear brain thinking and focusing on work" and "aiming to help solve attention deficit, stress, and mental disorders". Its natural properties are more easily accepted by consumers. For functional foods, chocolate is a great ingredient, partly because consumers already see it as a joyful food, and partly because chocolate can change multiple flavors to mask the special taste of any particular ingredient.
04
Improving metabolism is beneficial for health
Most consumers know little about the term "metabolic health", but one thing can be clear: consumers do not want to be overweight or diagnosed with diabetes. In the past decade, there has been an increasing amount of research on the relationship between metabolic health and various mental illnesses. This field is called metabolic psychiatry or nutritional psychiatry. At least to some extent, mental health is regarded as a metabolic condition, just like diabetes or obesity. The concept of improving brain condition through nutritional intervention is not new. A ketogenic diet is not a recently popular dietary pattern. It was born in the 1920s and is a medical diet provided for epilepsy patients. Adhering to a ketogenic diet can reduce the incidence of seizures by 85%. Until today, it is still a medical prescription. Researchers are currently conducting more extensive research to investigate the potential effects of low carbohydrate and high-fat diets on improving various mental health conditions. The hottest research area currently is Alzheimer's disease, which may reach epidemic level as the population ages. There is sufficient evidence that insulin resistance is related to Alzheimer's disease. Some researchers also call Alzheimer's disease "type 3 diabetes". This medical approach seems far from the world of food and everyday consumers. However, what starts with medicine and achieves results often shifts to what people learn on social media. 05
Blood glucose impact
With the increasing attention of consumers on managing blood sugar, the demand for a diet that can maintain a healthy weight and a good mood is constantly increasing. Browsing social media reveals that this is a big topic. Practitioners in the food industry should note that young women are most concerned about the relationship between blood sugar, mood, and weight, and this generation seems to be more likely than any other age group to struggle with anxiety. Products to improve blood sugar management have been put on the agenda of many companies. Create a combination of ingredients characterized by fat or protein, with low/no sugar content, to provide deliciousness without skyrocketing blood sugar levels, thereby linking consumer concerns about emotional, mental, and weight health. Proteins, especially dairy products, are one of the competitive foods because they have a low impact on blood sugar. 06
Not afraid of obesity
The strong concern of young people for physical and mental health is driving demand for products that contain less carbohydrates and more fat. HealthFocus International has found that young people are reducing their fear of fat. Among the population aged 18-29, only 21% believe that weight loss is healthy, while among the population aged 65 and above, this proportion is 47%. In the future, more companies will combine weight management and emotional pleasure into the same product, but these products do not have a statement about weight management. On the contrary, the marketing language will be "better blood sugar levels, less carbohydrates, more fat or more protein", combined with the content of "eating in a good mood", to establish a connection with the needs of more young consumers. These marketing tactics may not have any connection to official dietary advice, but they are indeed related to the ideas spread on social media today. This phenomenon reflects the increasing diversity of consumer beliefs about food health, especially applicable to young consumers. According to statistics, 52% of consumers aged 18-34 will first seek advice on food health on social media.
07
Collagen, protein, and amino acids
The desire of consumers for "products that are useful to me" makes them open to innovation. Bovine collagen is a highly nutritious protein that is beneficial for skin, hair, and nail health. This concept is gradually being accepted by women of all ages, especially Generation Z and young millennials, as well as young women who describe their diet as plant-based. Functional foods containing collagen have become a necessity for many people. People's demand for collagen is unlikely to disappear, and consumers are usually loyal to foods that improve their mood and appearance. In fact, as more health benefits are discovered, the collagen industry may further grow. The amino acids in collagen, especially glutamine, glycine, and proline, play an important role in supporting intestinal health. Glutamine is an important amino acid that the body needs to support the intestines. And there is evidence to suggest that glycine and proline help improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine. Some companies and brands are realizing this potential and introducing more health benefits of collagen to consumers, such as reducing inflammation, improving intestinal health, and promoting better sleep. China is the world's largest consumer market for functional foods and has been continuously upgrading in recent years, which has driven the rapid development of the functional food industry. The scale of China's functional food market is expected to reach 285.7 billion yuan by 2025. At present, there have been significant changes in the dietary structure of Chinese residents, with an increase in the prevalence of diseases related to wealth and the elderly. Developed areas have a fast pace of life and high work pressure, and people are increasingly valuing the health benefits of food. In addition, with the increase of disposable income and urbanization rate, the increase in disposable income and wealth of residents will drive the improvement of consumer spending power. At the same time, during the epidemic, consumer health awareness has been strengthened, and more attention has been paid to information on self-protection, nutritious diets, and enhancing immunity. Based on this, Chinese consumers will increase their demand for functional foods, thereby further promoting the growth of the functional food market. Analyzing the development trend of functional foods can provide reference for the research and development of functional foods, and the future development of functional foods with different functions has broad market prospects. Future development direction of functional foods in China
1. Establish material transfer channels:
While doing a good job in deep processing of raw materials in remote areas, Internet markets and warehousing and logistics services should be developed to enable products to reach the market quickly. Second and third tier cities should use food engineering technology to develop functional food raw materials that are not subject to geographical restrictions, such as extracting benefits from soybeans. 2. Emphasize the efficacy of the product:
Guided by the theories of food hygiene and traditional Chinese medicine, the development of third-generation functional foods requires that the product's efficacy can withstand clinical trials, and that functional factors comply with food safety standards in terms of molecular structure, mechanism of action, and maintenance of biological activity. 3. Reduce low-level duplicate products:
Improve the research and development level of functional foods, encourage enterprises and research institutes to use genetic engineering, cell engineering, enzyme engineering and other technological means to collaborate and develop high-end products suitable for the nutritional enhancement needs of the three major groups: white-collar workers, the elderly, and children.
May 09, 2024
