Functional solutions: where are we at?

Today’s consumers are informed and savvy consumers, they are looking for two main things. On the one hand, they want to take care of their health, which has become one of their priorities, especially following the COVID-19 crisis. And on the other hand, they are looking for novelty, practicality and are more and more careful about what they consume. At the crossroads of these two trends, there is a growing interest in functional solutions. Let’s take a look.

A few facts about health and wellness markets

Raising awareness among consumers

We live in a time of awareness. The importance of taking care of one’s health on a daily basis with the help of adapted products is part of this awareness. This phenomenon is closely linked to recent progress and the democratization of scientific subjects such as microbiota or immunity for example. Due to Covid-19, the emphasis has been put on the infinitely small. DNA, RNA, viruses, and vaccines have never been so well understood by consumers. The latter are becoming more and more enlightened and are looking for new options.

Consumers’ expectations are growing

As a result of this growing awareness and knowledge, the level of consumers’ expectations is also rising. They want functional solutions without losing taste quality: pleasure remains the priority. They expect to be offered original solutions, with new formats or new galenics. They are looking for healthy and functional alternatives to their everyday products, soft drinks for instance. In addition, prevention is under the spotlight. Supplements are seen as soft alternatives to medication. Not to mention naturalness that has become a must-have for every markets.

Immunity and digestion: two pillars for the functional solutions market

Immunity

After hearing about immunity so much and seeing the damage that can be caused by an underperforming immune system, consumers want to take the lead. Immunity has become one of the leading segments of the dietary supplements market. Data show that 45% of global consumers are consuming more food and beverage products that boost their immune system since 2021¹. No doubt, the pandemic has something to do with it.

Digestion

Digestive disorders are considered one of the ills of the century. A study showed that, 49% of females and 37% of males are concerned by at least one functional gastrointestinal disorder² (FGID). They are more than 20 of these FGID, including: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, dyspepsia, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. No wonder that people are increasingly interested in functional solution, such as biotics (prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics), helping them dealing with these disorders.

In addition, many consumers have a strong desire to understand the link between digestion and immunity.

The functional solutions market: a dynamic and promising market

The functional food and beverages market in a few figures

The functional food and beverages market has known a continuous growth for years. The global market was worth $216 Bn in 2018 and is estimated to reach $412 Bn by 2026 with a CAGR of 8.5 %³ More specific to immunity and digestion is the biotic segment. The functional food and beverages biotics market was worth $40 Bn in 2019 and is expected to continue its growth to reach $65 Bn in 2024⁴. Consumers’ appetite for functional solutions was reinforced by covid but is not expected to decline so soon. Before 2012, the term “postbiotics” had never been search on the internet. Since then, the number of searches has been steadily increasing, with a very strong increase from 2019. This reflects the growing consumer interest in this category of biotics.

How LBiome^TM respond to market demand

To meet consumers expectations, we have developed a stable, standardized and easy-to-use ingredient called LBiome™. This innovative and science-based ingredient is a postbiotic, it belongs to biotic family which is already known by consumers and positively associated with digestive health and immunity. LBiome™ meets the demand for natural products thanks to our proprietary ECHO™ process which does not require chemicals or additives.

Thus, boosted by the COVID-19 crisis, the functional solution market is growing rapidly, and this growth is expected to continue in the years to come. Indeed, tomorrow’s consumers will continue to be informed on health-related topics in order to find the most adapted and functional solutions.

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