With the long-term consequences of COVID-19 still unfolding, consumers today are hyper-aware of their personal health and are taking proactive measures to support their bodies’ natural defences and overall wellbeing.
By Lois Mo, marketing director of health and wellness at APAC, ADM
Across the food, beverage, health and wellness industry, functional ingredients have become the new normal as consumers increasingly make a connection between a healthy digestive system and their overall wellbeing. It has been reported that globally, one in four consumers experience digestive issues. Of those, half claim that it has a moderate or severe impact on their overall wellbeing. Within Asia-Pacific, nearly one in three Chinese, South Korean and Australian consumers recognise a link between their immune system and digestive health.
Between 2015 to 2020, Mintel research found that many new products launches are including combinations of prebiotics and probiotics, with increases of 113% in Asia-Pacific alone. Besides supplements, microbiome ingredients have become very popular in different food applications and consumers are seeking functional foods to deliver additional benefits beyond their basic nutritional value.
Consumers are catching up
It is apparent that consumers are increasingly aware of the potential role their gut microbiomes play in their everyday wellbeing, from physical to emotional health. The global human microbiome market is seeing a huge opportunity for developers — one that is estimated to balloon and reach $9.1 billion by 2026. Building on ADM’s Global Consumer Trends series, opportunities are aplenty for product innovation, and product developers should keep a pulse on the top consumer trends that are shaping demand for food and beverage solutions targeting the gut microbiome.
The full article can be found on Food & Beverage Asia’s October/November 2022 issue here.
