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Take a look at the top trends we saw at 2023 Food Ingredients Asia-Thailand (FiA) and opportunities ahead in female nutrition products for health and wellness.
This year at FiA, the focus was on function. In the wake of the COVID pandemic, consumers continue to invest in their health and wellness through functional nutrition products. Immunity, gut health, and mental/cognitive support (e.g., for stress and memory), as well as beauty-from-within products all had a strong presence at the show.
Nutrition claims highlighted at FiA include low/no sugar, low/no calories, high fiber, and high protein—indicating healthy nutrition is another priority for today’s consumers. We also noticed some exciting innovations and opportunities in combining nutritional and functional benefits for a target consumer known for their strong interest in health and wellness: women.
With more women taking a proactive approach to wellbeing, we saw a surge in brands targeting the female consumer. Many focused on female life-stage needs, such as menstruation, maternal health, and menopause, often including symptoms relief. Others emphasized the support of specific health needs, ranging from immunity to bone/joint health to sleep health, through female-focused formulations.
Glanbia Nutritionals' concepts for female life-stage products include Glow From Within Jelly Beans (with Bioferrin®) for adolescence, Relaxation+ Powder Beverage Stick (with CuroWhite® and PepForm® Tryptophan) for menstruation, and ProBoost Tomato Soup (with ProTherma® and CuroWhite®for menopausal care. Our Pro-immune Protein + Colostrum Bar concept (with Neoshield™ and Crunchie™ Milk Protein Crisps) addresses maternal health needs of protein and immune support.
With Thailand as one of the most active markets for functional beverage innovation, FiA gave us a chance to see some of the key drivers. We saw protein-enhanced beverages, energy drinks, vitamin water, and immunity-boosting beverages dominate the functional beverage landscape this year.
These beverage trends have high relevance for women and also emerged as part of our concept line-up. Our High Protein Melon Drink with OptiSol®1007and immunity premix provides wellness benefits to pregnant women. At the same time, our High Protein Milk Tea and High Protein Electrolyte Water with kalamansi flavor are designed for active day-to-day support of women of any age.
Healthy snacking was another prominent trend with many applications for the female consumer. As more women manage busy, on-the-go lifestyles that balance work, family, and other responsibilities, snacks are a valuable time-saver. Consumer snacking for indulgence, comfort, and health has been increasing, and now we see demand for products that can meet all of these need states, without compromise.
New formats for great-tasting snacks with added protein are a key opportunity here, relevant for a variety of snacking occasions (from meal replacement to break time) and needs (like energy to refuel and as a better-for-you treat). Our FiA healthy snack concepts include high protein versions of bars (Daily Nuts Crisp Bar and Seaweed Savory Crisp Bar), chips (Sweet Potato Chips and Sour Cream Chips), cookies (Matcha Short Bread and Double Chocolate Soft Cookie), and savory extruded snacks (Nacho Cheese Protein Balls).
Also highly visible at FiA this year were products made with plant-based ingredients. Consumers’ growing interest in plant-based products for health and sustainability is driving innovation, with FiA exhibitors showcasing plant-based in a variety of application formats—from RTD drinks to cookies to ice cream.
We expect plant-based innovation to continue, with the next stage going beyond taste and texture improvements to more culinary creativity or “green gastronomy.” Embracing underutilized ingredients is another potential area of expansion for plant-based products.
We hope you had the chance to attend FiA and be inspired by the innovations and opportunities emerging in female health and wellness. Growth in this exciting area will rest on ingredients that effectively address women’s wellness priorities, messaging that resonates with female consumers, and the use of convenient formats like beverages and snacks. Plant-based ingredients provide another way to differentiate and signal a product that’s healthy for you and the environment.
Contact Glanbia Nutritionals to learn more about our extensive offerings in nutritional and functional solutions for women’s health and wellness.