The report, published this week (November 13th), says consumers want to keep their bodies feeling young by eating and drinking products specifically marketed as promoting healthy ageing.
Jenny Zegler, associate director for Mintel Food and Drink, explains how food and drink manufacturers can take inspiration from the beauty industry.
“We’ve seen people in their 20s buying anti-wrinkle creams and we can see consumers starting to consider these health concerns when choosing food and drink as well,” she told NutraIngredients.
“The traditional areas people are likely to focus on are their bone, skin, joint, brain and eye health, but they might also be aware of hereditary illnesses in the family that they want to avoid.”
Zegler adds that innovators should take ingredient inspiration from new health research as well as traditional medicine practices, such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
She explains: “For example, in traditional Chinese medicine, turmeric is frequently used and this has recently become a widely accepted health ingredient.
“Another ingredient frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine is dried juju berry which is seen as the ‘longevity berry’ so this is something that I can see as having potential to be used more in food and drink products over here.”
She adds that diets that promote a healthy brain will also gain more attention over the next year.
“More products will feature ginger, turmeric, green tea extract and medicinal mushrooms in 2019, supporting diets such as the MIND diet and Whole 30.
“The Mediterranean diet and its focus on fruit, vegetables, fish and olive oil also will increasingly appeal to consumers who are concerned about brain health.”
Zegler adds that consumers will become increasingly interested in ‘nootropics’ as they look to enhance their brain power, focus, alertness and general wellbeing.
Anti-ageing innovation inspiration
Italian brand Geovita Nutrition has created a Good Life Grain Mix which links goji berries and paprika with anti-ageing benefits.
US company Fairlife relaunched its 2% Reduced Fat Ultra-Filtered Milk with DHA Omega-3 in 2018 to make consumers more aware of its omega-3 fatty acid content.
In the UK, St. Ewe Boost The Roost Free Range Eggs have been repackaged to make it more clear the eggs are produced from hens fed an enriched diet to produce eggs naturally high in selenium and DHA omega 3. What’s more, the manufacturer donates 5p from every pack to support the Pancreatic Cancer UK charity.
Beauty Sweeties is a German vegan gummy candy brand with products that contain biotin, aloe vera, and coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant that benefits heart health and may have anti-fatigue effects.
Yakult sells a Beauty Plus+ Drinking Yogurt for Your Skin in South Korea which contains five ingredients that are said to contribute to skin beauty including collagen and vitamin C.
In the UK, Vitness Tonics Beauty Vitamin Rhubarb & Rose Drink contains a “blend of anti-ageing vitamins”, including collagen peptides, resveratrol, retinol, vitamins C and E, zinc and selenium.
Danone has created AYEM Blueberry & Almond Breakfast Bowl, which is described as an easy-to-eat, low-fat, milk-protein-based breakfast bowl made with 15g protein, 250mg omega-3 DHA, fruit and almonds, and is high in vitamin D.
Polish dairy company Bakoma recently rolled out a senior-friendly line of yogurt and yogurt drinks that are lactose-free and enriched with calcium and vitamin D to help maintain healthy bones and support muscle and immune system functioning.
Mintel Factfile
38% of urban Thai consumers associate high protein food/drink with being able to replace muscle loss due to ageing.
35% of Chinese juice consumers (aged 20-49) would be interested in packaged juices that have anti-ageing benefits.
18% of UK consumers would buy a sports drink that supports bone health.
55% of Polish consumers aged 55+ use functional food and drink to maintain a healthy heart.
56% of UK consumers aged 55+ are concerned about developing dementia.
20% of US consumers aged 65+ currently use a supplement for joint health.
53% of Chinese parents of child(ren) aged 4-12 would buy children’s food/drinks if they were good for intellectual development