Responding to health trend - cocoa drink and fruity ice cream

Health is fast becoming a major selling point in the food and drinks industry, with new products being launched every month targeting specific ailments or simply promoting a general sense of wellbeing. Last month was no different, according to the latest review from the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD).

US-based confectionery group Mars is promoting the antioxidant and heart-health benefits of cocoa beans through a new company division, The Positive Food Company. The business is set to introduce a number of healthy cocoa snack products, the first of which is Positively Healthy Cocoa Drink. The single dose (85ml) chilled milk drink is said to be high in natural cocoa antioxidants and is marketed with the strapline 'top up your body's defences'.

Also new to the healthy drinks sector are Steap Green Tea Sodas, all-natural sodas that claim to be the first marked with the new USDA certified organic seal. They combine Ceylon healthy green tea with popular sodas and come in Cola, Lemon Dew, Raspberry, Orange, Key Lime and Root Beer flavours. Green tea is also an ingredient in Cricket Green Tea Cola from Cricket Cola, available in regular and diet versions.

Water is increasingly being perceived as a functional drink, containing as much of it does, a number of essential minerals. The latest product marketed as a 'health water' is Tir na nog from Shannon Minerals of Ireland, which has been launched in the Canadian market. The lineup includes Boost (to fight colds), Osteo (to promote breast and bone health), Slim (to help curb appetites), Mineral Max (to restore antioxidants), Cardio (to reduce critical blood fats), Effervescent Get Up & Go (cryptically described simply as 'for men') and Detox (a peach-flavoured beverage for women to aid recovery from hangovers).

Another staple, bread, has also been given the healthy makeover treatment, mainly as a result of the growing awareness of the Atkins diet (a low carbohydrate, high protein diet). Low-carbohydrate bread has been around for some time but has traditionally been an expensive speciality product. Now it has become almost as common - and as cheap - as regular bread.

The newest offering in the US, Nature's Own Premium Wheat, promises half the carbohydrates of regular bread. The Nature's Own reduced-carbohydrate bread has 60 calories a slice, the same as traditional varieties, but replaces wheat flour with soy protein to cut the carb count.

And just as consumers in the US are increasingly being encouraged towards eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, UK shoppers are being helped by retailers such as Sainsbury who has launched a 'Way to Five' labelling scheme on its own-brand products. These are processed foods which Sainsbury claims contain one or two of the daily recommended portions.

Branded products including soups and canned vegetables also now carry an indication of their fruit/vegetable content in easy to follow portions, Mintel​ said, adding that even the Unilever ice cream brand Solero had got in on the act, with its Solero Getfruit! brand. It is available in varieties including strawberry & raspberry, apple & blackcurrant and tropical, and the back of the pack lists '5 good things'about the ice cream, including that it is made with 45 per cent real fruit, has no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and is a good source of vitamin C. An additional panel describes how the product can help reach the 5 a day target, as each 125ml serving of ice cream contains half a portion of fruit.