Mintel - Hottest Functional Ingredients in 2018

Mintel - Hottest Functional Ingredients in 2018

Time:2018-02-26 Hits:
According to the market research company Mintel, it is believed that Chaga, green banana powder and cyanobacteria will be noted in 2018.
In the FIE2017, Food science analyst Emma Schofield of Mintel said some macro trends combine all these individualized diets to help prolong life. Natural and clean labels, as well as niche diets that are free from certain raw materials and plant source material have been mainstream. Products like algae-derived proteins can be incorporated into plant-derived sports products, are also natural, and are suitable for "free from" product labels. Man-made or highly processed raw materials are gradually being phased out by more and more different types of products that targeted to more and more health conscious consumers.
Chaga
Chaga is a mushroom commonly found on the birch bark, which has been used as food for years. Currently, most Chaga products are sold as supplements.
According to Schofield, like other raw materials such as spirulina and matcha tea powder, chaga as supplements also starting in health food stores such as Holland and Barrett, and subsequently became more widely used, such as adding to yogurt or other products.
Chaga grows widely in the birch forests of Russia, Eastern and Northern Europe. In these areas, Chaga is often used as tea, but in order to obtain the beneficial ingredients, it needs to be boiled for drinking. This also makes Chaga a good starter for hot drinks. Currently on the launch of new products, the Norwegian brand Chaga Health has introduced a new Chaga powder, as well as a mixture of Chaga and pinebuds powder. It is understood that these products can be added to the milkshake or tea. In addition, the Finnish brand Foodin has also introduced a new type of Chaga coffee with a unique aroma of Chaga.
Green banana powder
Green banana powder is made from immature green bananas with low sugar, high resistant starch and natural flavo which can be used as an ideal gluten-free alternative for wheat flour. It can also be used as a substitute for gels such as xanthan gum and other products in soups and jams.
According to Mintel, green banana powder will be one of the most attractive raw materials for 2018 as the popularity of gluten-free products and consumer interest in high-fiber products with digestive health benefits increased.
At present, there are several new terminal products in Brazil added green banana powder, including green banana powder ice cream and muffins. For example, Whaka's ice cream has been added with strawberries, chia seeds and green banana powder to promote healthy intestinal flora. The American international agricultural group also introduced flour with green banana powder.
In Europe, Mintel expects that the European market will also grow as consumers' interest in digestive health increases. Thirty percent of Britons said they are trying to avoid the intake of refined carbohydrates such as pasta and white bread, while 31% of Poles prefer to use almonds or coconut to make gluten-free products.
Cyanobacteria
Bright blue may be a challenge for traditional food processing in developing products that do not contain artificial colors. However, natural blue - containing microalgae such as spirulina cyanin will break this barrier. Manufacturers will also be able to develop blue products more actively.
Schofield said the food and beverage industry was not keen on developing blue products except for a small amount of blue cheese and blueberry products. But now blue food is becoming a new trend. In 2018, cold-pressed juices and coffee will first be tested in blue.
According to Mintel data from 2011 to 2017, sugar and soft candy make up 47% of the new product launches of spirulina-containing foods, beverages and health products, followed by chocolate (12%), bread (9% ), desserts and ice creams (8%) and fruit drinks (6%).
Bright foods and beverages have shown good trends. At present, bright color natural pigments such as pigments extracted from spirulina, curcumin, cherry, radish and purple sweet potato have been widely publicized by the media and accepted by consumers. For example, the French brand Smart Chimp has introduced blue coconut water, which adds spirulina extract and has antioxidant effect as well as pigment. The blue ice cream made by the American brand Jenis also uses spirulina as a pigment.
Cascara, Guarana and other natural energy raw materials
As consumption and demand for natural energy drink products increases, Red Bull, a representative product of energy drinks, believes that natural energy-promoting raw materials such as cascara, kola nut and guarana are on the rise.
Cascara is the skin of the coffee berry with less caffeine than coffee beans, and is usually a waste from coffee processing. However, it can be used to produce coffee berry extract and coffee berry powder. Cafe Royal in Switzerland developed cascara iced tea products with 1.4g/L of coffee berry extract; British brand Firefly also recently launched cascara beverage with 0.5% kola nut extract, prune and ginger extract.