And yes, the ‘functional’ phrase has been in vogue and thrown around more times than the suggestion that Brussels sprouts are revolting, then deemed a load of dated rubbish, reborn as the essential diet component and back again.
Yet, amid the usual cloudy swings and roundabouts of new nutritional research, there have been some concrete and potentially industry changing discoveries. Here are a few that I believe have been the most significant and may well affect the way in which the food and beverage sectors will grow and evolve in 2012.
An obvious one was the European Commission authorising the use of steviol glycosides as a non-?caloric sweetener in the European market, enabling formulation of a multitude of low- and no-?calorie beverages. Manufacturers will look to fully utilise this fact in the continuous need to create healthier, tastier food and drink products.
A new EU regulation was named the ‘most significant labelling change in years’ and it’s expected to have a big impact on the way businesses develop and market their products, according to a UK’s specification and labelling services company.
Labelling rules in general have been hit hard this year, with a number of companies being well and truly caught out for describing their products as functional, claims that have turned out to carry absolute diddly-squat in terms of scientific proof. The new regulations are a significant advancement for the industry.
As research continues to become more detailed and complex, manufacturers will have to keep up with the ever-changing policies to stay in line with health claim guidelines.
The Australian government wants less salt in products by 2015, and though this is not particularly significant as an individual story, I think it represents a trend that will continue on a global level in the next 12 months and beyond.
As more research reveals the impact of excess consumption of food components (salt, sugar, saturated fat etc) and the financial cost to the economy in healthcare as a result, manufacturers will be forced to stick to tighter guidelines, and face severe consequences if found guilty of non-compliance.
2012 looks set to be a year in which current health trends will be stretched to their maximum, further driven by consumers’ increasing awareness of health and nutrition, which I expect will continue to be high on the agenda of priorities for manufacturers and consumers. However, the health market is going to have to take the uncertain economic future fully into account and be seen to implement value for money as well as functionality and health properties in their products.
I believe that 2012 will see requirements to meet guidelines on the reduction of salt, fat and sugar become more and more strict as ongoing research is regularly suggesting a new Recommended Daily Intake (RDI), and current intakes deemed ‘risk factors’ for a number of ailments. It wouldn’t surprise me if the current RDIs for the US are completely different this time next year.
Let’s hope 2012 doesn’t bring more crooks, dodgy health books, false health claims and silly food product names. We also need fewer companies who lie about health claims, look for someone to blame, and jump on the ‘functional health train’.
It wouldn’t surprise me if chocolate will be described as ‘light’, and companies will claim it’s their right to do so; food will be pre-ordered with QR Codes, drinks will have a range of ‘lose weight modes’; people will eat too much salt and claim it’s not their fault.
I predict that 2012 will bring fun and games with food, beverage companies will get sued, labels will be clean, sat fats won’t be seen, food laws will have a load more clout and I will certainly have plenty to write about.
To sum it up in one: bring it on.
Rebecca is editorial assistant of FoodBev.com. You can contact her here, or read her blog here.
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