Better-for-you beverages: How our ingredients meet consumer demand

Nowadays, many people are taking nutritional supplements to maintain overall health and well-being. Based on data, supplement use is a daily practice for millions of Americans. Supplements are commonly available as tablets, capsules, and softgels. However, consuming numerous pills each day may not be desired or suitable. With a growing number of adults taking prescription and over-the-counter medications and natural health products, many often experience “pill fatigue”, the phenomenon where the habit of taking numerous pills becomes exhausting.¹ 

Beverages leading the way

This phenomenon creates the need for convenience and increase people interest for ready to drink options. Better for you beverages in 2021 witnessed a year of significant growth. Today, beverages are tasked to fill more needs than simply hydration. Consumers are looking to beverages to replace meals, supplement their diets, provide recovery from a workout, boost their energy and offer relaxation.² Data supports this shift in consumer priorities. One study conducted by Kerry showed 58% of consumers reported maintaining a balanced diet was the top way to proactively manage their health, more so even than physical exercise (57%). Kerry reported 60% of U.S. consumers were familiar with the term “clean label,” with 44% saying clean label is important to them. Finally, the report noted 65% of consumers said they seek functional benefits from their food and drinks. The Hartman Group came to similar conclusions based on its Modern Beverage Culture 2018 report that showed 44% of consumers actively want benefits from the products they consume, including providing energy, relaxation, nutrients, digestive help and more.³

Meeting demand with soluble ingredients

One key problem formulators and brands face when creating market leading products is ensuring the functional ingredients needed to meet consumer demands are water soluble and can have multiple format applications. Discovering an ingredient that is clinically validated, that consumers love and is available in a format making it easily to formulate with can be tough. 

At Sibelius we’re proud of our inhouse formulating team that can successfully support our customers to launch products into the functional food and beverage space. One customer, Clutch Cognition has just been awarded the Innovative Ready to Drink Beverage of the Year using our water dispersible Sibelius™: Sage extract that’s fast-acting, natural lift to cognitive performance for consumers seeking a non-caffeinated, clinically proven natural boost.

Where function meets consumer trends

All of our ingredients undergo strict quality testing, not just ensuring a safe product, but in understanding the ingredient chemistry and how to effectively create products in a food and beverage market. At Sibelius we offer experiential, clinically backed ingredients that meet a range of consumer needs.

Are you interested in liquid formulations? All Sibelius ingredients are water soluble powder extracts or tinctures that can be incorporated in liquid delivery formats. Our skilled formulations team can assist you in every step of your product development process. Click on the link below to contact us: 

References

1. Rubino, S. ‘Are You Suffering From Pill Fatigue?’
2. Martin, K. (2020) ‘Better-for-You Beverages Hit Key Consumer Demands for Health’. 
3. Food and Beverage Insider (2020) ‘How to win in the better-for-you beverage market’.