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Consumers are reaching for functional beverages for energy, workouts, mental wellness, immunity, and more. Learn how partnering with the right functional beverage ingredients manufacturer can help you create the beverages they want.
The beverage industry is evolving fast, with continuous innovation in ingredients—especially functional ingredients—playing a key role. Euromonitor forecasts the global functional beverage market will reach $249.5 billion by 2026, growing at an estimated CAGR of 6.4% between 2021 and 2026.1
At $60.3 billion, energy drinks make up the largest category with the fastest growth.2 In fact, energy drinks are the top-selling functional beverage category in all regions except Asia Pacific, where they come in second to yogurt beverages.3 Though the focus is on energy right now, consumers globally are also turning to functional beverages for hydration, digestive health, immune support, and relaxation, according to Euromonitor.4
To meet this growing demand for beverages with benefits, beverage brands are looking to ingredient suppliers for the right functional ingredients. In choosing the functional beverage ingredients manufacturer to use, brands should first make sure the manufacturer offers a wide range of the most in-demand functional ingredients, such as:
Proven expertise in functional beverage formulation is another key component to choosing the best functional beverage ingredients supplier. Hands-on experience with functional ingredients in a beverage format makes all the difference in understanding potential sensory and shelf-life issues, especially as they relate to ingredient interactions and different heat processing methods.
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The ingredient manufacturer should have sufficient formulation knowledge to be a trusted partner as you develop new functional beverages, with technical staff available for guidance. Ideally, they should also have a collaboration center available to help you accelerate the ideation and development process when timelines are tight.
A functional beverage ingredients manufacturer should also be able to support its offerings with a deep understanding of the functional benefits consumers are looking for right now. In the US, for example, we see consumers drinking functional beverages to meet a wide variety of needs, including:
An awareness of the broader trends underway within the beverage market is also essential for a functional beverage ingredients manufacturer. This ensures the manufacturer can support functional beverage development that includes the right ingredients to meet consumers’ needs and the ability to satisfy other trending consumer expectations, such as:
For example, when the demand for clean-label ingredients began to take off, we looked for ways to optimize our ingredient functionality in the product and during processing so our customers could meet their texture and stability targets without having to add label-unfriendly ingredients.
To address sustainability, we developed our Truly Grass Fed™ dairy proteins and plant-based solutions, which include flaxseed and oat ingredients for RTD beverages. Now, with lower sugar becoming more important, especially among active lifestyle and performance consumers, we have made ourselves experts in low and no-sugar beverage formulation.
Today’s functional beverage consumers range from Gen Z to Boomers, with a diverse array of needs and usage occasions—from working and studying (energy drinks) to post-workout (sports drinks) to breakfast replacement (RTD protein shakes).6
Our functional beverage solutions ensure you have everything you need to succeed in the functional beverage market. As a leading functional beverage ingredients manufacturer, we can help you address the trends of the day with our market insights, formulation expertise, and RTD beverage ingredients—from bioactives to proteins to micronutrients.
Glanbia Nutritionals goes above and beyond. We use TechVantage™ optimized nutrient technologies to solve real-world problems—for improved solubility and dispersion, easier handling, more uniform distribution, and increased nutrient stability. We also offer flavors and flavor masking solutions, plus custom premix solutions that enable you to create a unique blend of functional ingredients for your brand.
Contact us to learn how we can help grow your beverage brand with our functional beverage ingredients.