NutraFormulate is an event its organisers claim to be the only conference and exhibition designed to meet the specific requirements of the UK’s functional foods industry.
The biggest of its kind in the UK, it combines an exhibition showcasing the ingredients and expertise of companies active in this area, with seminar sessions designed to give attendees the tools and information they need to develop products that meet current and future consumer demand. It seemed only natural to take a look and talk to the people representing this evolving sector.
Variations of existing products with a twist appear to be rife, yet at the show, innovation in terms of products that are truly unique appeared thinner on the ground. Research, however, is definitely bubbling away behind the scenes, and the exciting prototypes in early development erased any concern that the industry is drying up in terms of ideas and scope.
In fact, I got the impression that manufacturers are paying much more attention to trends in the industry, predicting future trends competitively fast and keeping their ‘unique’ design fairly close to their chests prior to a grand reveal.
Miranda Dickinson from RTS Resource, a research and trend analysis company at the event, told me: “Manufacturers are going to have to understand their market more and more. They need to research them and ensure they’re truly providing that target market with what they want and, if necessary, the scientific proof to back it up.”
One product that will be one to watch when it hits the shelves in three months’ time is a chocolate and orange energy shot from Dragon Nutrition. I tasted the prototype and it was a really refreshing, yet a different sensation to the predominantly citrus-tasting energy drinks currently available.
I also think India is going to bring a new wave of products and research to the fore, and manufacturers are really hitting the innovation stations. They are wholeheartedly tapping into the coconut market and are focusing on the thermogenic benefits, the high potassium levels, and combining its fat-burning properties with other thermogenisis-promoting ingredients such as capsaicin (derived from red pepper) and mustard oil. Not only this, a company called Sabinsa Europe is taking this knowledge and combining it with improved bioavailability, absorption and stability.
A clear trend I see emerging is the multifunctional sector. As the industry becomes more flooded with innovations, companies are upping their game in terms of the number of claims they can attribute to a product. A few years ago, manufacturers were being advised to focus on one claim and market the product as such. This is no longer the case.
However, as this trend develops, so will consumers’ requirement for reassurance. As consumer knowledge of the functional industry grows, innovators will have to continue to use language their purchasers understand, but more than ever, they’ll have to have the science to back it up.
A digestive health drink with added omega 3, extra electrolytes, reduced sugar and thermogenesis-promoting properties, packaged in biodegradable bottles displaying a ‘clean’ label it may be, yet the questions will be what’s new and where’s the proof?
Rebecca is editorial assistant of FoodBev.com
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