The sweet taste of self-care beverages

Consumers are given more information about the health components of the food they purchase. Many EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) markets are adopting, mostly voluntary, colour-coded and user-friendly front-of-pack labelling, such as Nutri-Score. Promotions on food and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) in medium to large UK retailers will be restricted from October 2022. These measures serve to assist consumers in making better health choices.

Driven by COVID-related health concerns, and facilitated by front-of-pack information, the "Mindful Nutritionist" is seeking out self-care beverage products that they know are both better for them (low sugar, natural-origin, allergen-free) and also deliver a noticeable boost in terms of improved mood, better sleep quality, more energy and focus, and better skin and hair.

Teas and infusions, with a focus on the mental health side of self-care, are in the ascendency as their clean label credentials offer guilt-free pleasure. Bold flavours are in the spotlight due to the large swathes of people who have suffered the loss of taste and smell due to COVID.

The formulation of the sweet spot for self-care beverages relies on having an ingredient partner that can identify the optimal combination of natural flavours, sweetening systems, functional health ingredients, and texturisers to deliver the self-care agenda. Recent sugar reduction innovation has produced sweetening systems that utilise more refined stevia extracts and sugar alcohols, as well as the highly label-friendly cereal and dried fruit extracts. Then there are the soluble dual-purpose prebiotic fibres, such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) (c30-65% sweetness vs sugar) that are derived from various produce such as chicory, and the slightly sweet galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) derived from lactose in cow's milk.

For fat reduction strategies in beverages, formulators can cut calories whilst maintaining mouthfeel by turning to ingredients such as maltodextrins from maize, and potato and tapioca starches.

Beverage innovations targeting immune and gut health

Demand for products supporting the immune system, leading to the inclusion of vitamin C and zinc, has jumped in Europe with half of the consumers having claimed to have started taking vitamins and minerals that support immune health (4).

The water and soft drinks categories continue to push the boundaries in terms of ingredient formulations to meet, and lead, consumer preferences. An intriguing array of ingredients and processes has entered the healthier soft drinks market in recent years. Think about fermented products such as kombucha, which is derived from tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast, via a process similar to brewing; it is low in sugar but high in probiotics, purporting to deliver a wide variety of health benefits. Or the inclusion of adaptogens, which are natural ingredients that allow the body to adapt to stress; some of the most popular adaptogens include ginseng, ashwagandha, and reishi (a medicinal mushroom). Again, holistic immune health is the main aim.

More is being discovered about the significant effects of the gut microbiome on holistic health. Prebiotics are being shown to stimulate immune health through feeding, increasing the number of beneficial gut microbes, or probiotics, resulting in an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines (small proteins involved in cell signaling) (5). Offering consumers easy ways to boost fibre intake and therefore gut health, by the inclusion of soluble fibres such as inulin, FOS, or GOS, in beverage products, is one way to attract the Mindful Nutritionist who is looking to improve their immune health.

Mindful Nutritionists of all ages are recognising the value of everyday opportunities to boost their nutrition regime, making every sip count.

Sustainability: Ingredient sourcing to process efficiencies

It is not a surprise that innovation is rapid in the beverage market. Alternatives to alcohol in the form of hard seltzers require sophisticated organoleptic properties, and therefore innovative ingredients and processes. The shifting health agenda is presenting opportunities and challenges at each turn.

Sourcing ingredients from sustainable and equitable sources is becoming the way we do business and will be key to tackling food insecurity. In terms of processes, carefully chosen ingredients can improve process efficiencies and product quality. Take natural enzymes, for example. These naturally derived ingredients can improve fermentation and filtration processes, leading to improved yield, clarity, and stability in juice production, thereby reducing production losses and food waste. Since enzymes are typically classified as a processing aid, it is not required to include them in the ingredient declaration, keeping that all-important label clean.

At every stage of the formulation process, well-chosen ingredients can contribute to better health, a clean label, and, a reduced environmental footprint: the ultimate clean conscience.