The market for functional foods in the US looks certain to be vibrant in 2015 and beyond as it addresses the diverse needs of various groups including health-conscious Millennials, aging Baby Boomers, exercise enthusiasts and several everyday consumers who want to avoid chronic illness, need help losing and managing weight or who are just trying to maintain enough energy to make it through the day, according to a report by researchsandmarkets.
Facilitating development of these products is the wide and growing array of functional food ingredients made possible through innovation, development and commercialization of new ingredient sources and techniques for incorporating them in application, according to Functional Foods: Key Trends & Developments in Ingredients.
The continued explosion in demand for dietary protein is shifting toward more plant sources to satisfy the need for less expensive, more vegetarian and vegan options.
Microalgae represent a new class of whole food ingredients altogether, which shows tremendous promise for allowing the formulation of great-tasting products with less fat and more protein, fiber, and micronutrients, fewer added ingredients, and inherently shorter ingredient lists.
As growth of the omega-3 market in the US has started to slow, competition and innovation are heating up, with more algal sources becoming available.
