Changing consumer habits mean that functional beverages are becoming increasingly important for the beverage industry. This article from Drintec provides an overview of changing purchasing behaviour in an international context.
Organic + regional + healthy: health becomes a purchasing motive
Beverage manufacturers in particular must be prepared for the ‘Age of Trust’. Demonstrating transparency, reliability and proximity to consumers has enabled the industry to grow in recent years. This is also expected in the conventional sector.
Regional beverages are in vogue and are already associated with the term ‘organic’ by consumers. This is complemented by government programmes that use enjoyment-based education to teach people (and schoolchildren) about the importance of food for their health.
In addition, around 40 per cent of Germans now buy regional food occasionally or regularly as a stabilising counterbalance to globalisation.
Health is becoming a key purchasing motive. In future, most of us will buy something primarily because we want to stay healthy. This includes ecological aspects. We are in a phase of consumer excess and, at the same time, consumer fatigue. We are looking for more quality and more convenience. Selfness is the new path to well-being, the search for the authentic and self-competent self.
Living a healthy and nature-oriented life is a lifestyle choice. LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) already make up a third of the total population in the USA. However, LOHAs do not sacrifice style and enjoyment. These generally high-earning followers pay up to 20 per cent more for their eco-products than in conventional shops.
The trend towards functional beverages continues unabated: benefits for body and soul are promising beverage properties that convince consumers who are eager to buy. Antioxidants and vitamins can support the immune system, while other ingredients can aid metabolism or digestion. Mental health is also supported. There are new beverages that are designed to relax and promote well-being or lift the mood.
Smoothies in particular have benefited from this development. Exotic fruits whet the appetite for something new and offer potential for creativity. Examples include soursop (guanabana), Indian gooseberry, mangosteen, star fruit and a variety of citrus fruits such as hallabong and cheonhyehyang.
Vegetables, with their valuable nutrients, are also finding their way into refreshing and healthy drinks. Spinach, avocado, olives, beetroot, sweet potato, tomato, pepper and chilli are not eaten but enjoyed as functional drinks.
Botanicals are becoming increasingly important in the world of smoothies. Plants such as basil, mint, lavender, lemongrass and dandelion add interesting flavour nuances. The imagination of product developers seems to be limitless, as the writer of these lines discovered at BrauBeviale and Biofach 2025.
Drinks with added benefits
A little healthier with every bite, a little better with every sip. Enriched with ingredients, these drinks offer additional health benefits beyond their natural nutritional value: for example, juice and whey drinks with L-carnitine are said to boost fat metabolism, and calcium in orange juice helps prevent osteoporosis in old age.
Functional foods are not usually purchased to counteract existing illnesses. With growing health awareness, people are more interested in staying fit or compensating for dietary sins. Researchers estimate that functional foods will account for half of the total market by 2050. Companies are developing products for people who have undergone chemotherapy.
Drinktec is on 15 to 19 September in Munich, Germany. This article first appeared on Drinktec.com.
