Video: World Food Innovation Awards – best new health or wellness product

The extent of innovation in the best new health or wellness product category at the World Food Innovation Awards 2016 demonstrates the rising consumer interest in products that are good for the body.

Kinohimitsu Wellness Smooth’D is an all-in-one, delicious, natural treat packed with psyllium husk, plant extracts, prebiotics and real fruits to gently cleanse the body of toxins. The smoothies are available in three flavours.

Thirst Quenchers’ Mega Chia Drink contains 100% more potassium than bananas and 200% more iron than spinach for a functional blend of chia seeds, fruit and vegetables. It is naturally sweetened using steviol glycosides and is free from gluten, lactose and artificial colours or preservatives – available in three ranges: Basic Mega Chia, Organic Mega Chia, and Functional Mega Chia.

Mahtay Natural BioRhythm nominated Mahtay, the 100% natural vitality drink that is a sparkling infusion of roasted yerba maté, coconut juice and açaí berries. The functional drink helps to restore balance and is full of vitamins and antioxidants with only 45 calories per 300ml bottle.

And Noa Potions entered its Noa relaxation drink with natural herbs that contribute to less stress and increased focus, thanks to the inclusion of green tea extract with L-theanine and lemon balm. The premium beverage was launched in Norway and Sweden in late 2014.

The Pickle Juice Company’s tested sports drink is positioned as the first purpose-built sports drink based on the functional properties of naturally occurring neural inhibitors, and can combat muscle cramps and replenish electrolytes for optimal athletic performance.

It was joined by FortiSalt from Mineral Resources International, which can enhance the flavour of foods containing sodium while reducing their salt content by as much as 50%. The product will help to lessen consumers’ dependence on salt, the company claimed.

The Heart of Nature developed Pure Grain Bread – an exceptional, unique, healthy and nutritious loaf of bread without flour or yeast, the company said. Aimed at people who are acutely aware of the importance of wellbeing, it delivers vitamins A, C, E, B6 and F; antioxidants; omega-3 fatty acids; and fibre. It is available in original, which is full of pumpkin and sunflower seeds; or, for additional benefits, with quinoa, chia seeds, black cumin, cranberries, plum, chokeberries, goji berries or açaí berries.

Nutrilac Lowcal is a protein solution for both drinking and stirred yoghurt lets the consumer claim either high in fibre or low in calories while at the same time boasting an even higher protein content compared to standard non-fat yoghurt solutions.

Light of Life’s entry revolved around a plant called astragalus, which has been in use for thousands of years as a medical treatment. Thanks to modern technology, the company was able to transform extracts from the roots into a small, easy-to-use soft-gel capsule.

Alterood’s In/Fusion is an organic herbal tea made with wholesome infused plants – hand cultivated in the south of France – fruit juices and pure water.

Atkins’ Crispbread can be used to create a balanced and low-carbohydrate meal or snack for any time of the day, with 50% fewer carbohydrates than regular crispbreads while still being high in protein and fibre.

Eat Natural’s super granola is protein-packed and contain more fibre and natural goodness than any other product in their range – as well as no refined sugar. Loaded with almonds, three seeds, roasted chickpeas, pea protein and moist coconut chips, the product has been developed to appeal to a growing base of health-conscious consumers who are looking for a breakfast cereal that tastes great and is full of nutrition.

Similar motivations exist for manufacturers across the industries represented by the best new health and wellness product category.

The high-protein flavoured peanut butters from Dr Zak’s are infused with a partially hydrolysed whey protein isolate, widely regarded among sports nutritionists as the highest quality protein available, to deliver 7g of protein in every 20g serving. They are available in a range of five innovative flavours, including salted caramel, cherry bakewell, and white chocolate and coconut.

Dr Zak’s wasn’t exactly short of innovations: in the same category, it also nominated its high-protein bread, which contains in two slices of bread 30g of protein and 30g of carbohydrates – more than 300% more protein and 30% less carbohydrates than standard wholemeal loaf – to allow bread to return to the diets of gym-going fitness enthusiasts.

VITL developed a 28-day nutrition pack, designed to fit through letterboxes as well as being retail ready and boasting tearability for on-the-go consumption. Each blister strip provides essential vitamins to make it easier for consumers to stay healthy.

Water.io’s hydration solution for better wellness and healthy introduces a sensor cap to ordinary water bottles that – with basic information such as age, height and weight – will create a personalised drinking profile for each consumer that will know when they need to drink more water and even be able to adapt its recommendations to the weather.

Amrita is an anti-ageing alkaline water that has been enriched with importance minerals and micro-elements such as zinc, selenium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium and vitamin C. Its pH level of 9.6 allows it to contribute towards an increase in the body’s ability to take oxygen by as much as ten times.

Squeeze Wheatgrass launched wheatgrass and beetroot shots that are packaged in 60ml pouches and combine beetroot juice, which can lower blood pressure, improve athletic performance and help with sleep, learning and memory; and wheatgrass juice, which contains up to 70% chlorophyll as well as minerals and vitamins.

Tg Green Tea from Ideas 2 Launch is a “smart, sassy, social” drink, a refreshing green tea infusing with a sprinkling of ginseng that is brewed using tea leaves for an uplifting, great-tasting and low-in-sugar beverage. Three variants are available, all containing familiar wellness ingredients including the new-to-the-UK superfruit jujube.

Sticking with tea and coffee, TrueStart Coffee nominated its performance coffee – described as a world first – that is designed to deliver the optimal level of caffeine to health-conscious individuals and elite athletes. At the right level, TrueStart said, caffeine can help improve focus and increase physical endurance so you can train harder for longer – but the problem with regular coffee is that the caffeine can be unpredictable.

And Buckwheat Healthcare Products’ Roasted Buckwheat Green Tea is the latest super-green tea with tartary buckwheat and sencha green tea. It is rich in rutin, which helps in metabollic conditioning such as insulin resistance and blood sugar regulation, and has been developed to help stave off lifestyle-induced diabetes.

DJ Wellbeing’s DTOX’T tea is a revolutionary formula in detox tea, which, unlike standard green teas or other detox teas, is a complex natural herb formula designed to balance the body, with ingredients that are proven to help the body detox and supplement a healthy daily routine. They are available in five different blends.

In other products-with-apostrophes news, Pack’d nominated its frozen smoothie kits, which combined natural ingredients and superfood to provide a targeted health hit, be it for energy, defence or detox. The reusable packs contain two pouches of fruit and vegetables plus two superfood sachets – one per portion.

Morinda developed TruAge Whole Food Blends as a way to get consumers eating more fruit and vegetables. Each of the four blends uses functional ingredients such as spinach, beta-carotene, lycopene and ellagic acid for a whole spectrum of performance and health benefits – all packaging in convenient on-the-go sticks full of phytonutrient-packed powder to be mixed with water or stirred through smoothies.

Also in the best new health or wellness product category was Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group’s Yili Chang Qing Organic Yogurt, develop based on pro-ABB strain lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidobacterium lactis and bifidobacterium longum.

And Meiji Dairies Corporation’s Probio Yogurt PA-3 Drink Type is a completely new concept of probiotic yogurt with a novel function, which utilises purines for energy. The yogurt drink contains the PA-3 probiotic strain and is available in supermarkets and convenience stores in the Japanese marketplace.

Diva’s drinks for women include vitamins waters, high in vitamins and cold-pressed to help retain the nutrients of the ingredients; and functional drinks, which complement substances like coenzyme Q10 and collagen in the human body, which are lost after 20 years, according to the company. Not your typical energy drink, they contains natural green coffee beans with anitoxidant properties and are low in calories and high in vitamins B and C.