As lifestyles change and consumer awareness of the importance of healthy living grows, consumers today are increasingly seeking food products that offer a balanced nutritional profile.
Nevertheless, many consumers find it hard to follow a restricted diet or change their eating habits.
How can food manufacturers formulate more food products that can be easily integrated into existing diets, be convincing in taste and texture and carry a nutritionally optimized profile to cater to this demand?
What can we expect of Asia’s food industry in 2016 and the major trends shaping the region’s food sector?
More details below.
All things natural
Today’s consumers demand natural and ‘less processed’ food and drinks.
Natural food and ingredients are regarded as healthier and are preferred choices.
Recent consumer research commissioned by Beneo confirms the high interest in natural products in the Southeast Asia region.
It showed that 94% of Indonesian and 91% of Thai respondents consider natural products as better, while 74% of Indonesian and 81% of Thai respondents actively look for natural products when making food purchase decisions.
With consumer focus moving towards ‘all things natural’, chicory root fibers inulin and oligofructose are ‘on trend’ for providing digestive health, naturally.
They are ingredients made by nature and are obtained via a gentle hot water extraction method from chicory root.
Healthy waist, great taste
Weight management continues to be a key concern for many consumers, as reports indicate a growing self-awareness and self-consciousness among respondents of their weight in Asia.
According to the World Health Organisation, a reduction of sugar consumption cuts the risk of overweight and obesity.
Food producers can lower calorie count by limiting sugar content in product formulation by applying functional food ingredients such as sugar replacers (e.g. isomalt) or prebiotic fibers (e.g. inulin and oligofructose).
Chicory root fibers inulin and oligofructose are soluble, have a mild sweet taste and half the calories of sucrose.
Digestive health
More consumers today recognize that the way they look and feel is closely related to their digestive health and are prioritizing products that promote digestive health in their food purchase decisions.
The same Southeast Asia survey has also revealed that 74% of consumers in Indonesia and 80% in Thailand consider fiber as an ingredient that can help improve their digestive system.
An European Food Safety Authority authorization exclusive to Beneo confirms that its prebiotic fiber inulin contributes to normal bowel function by increasing stool frequency without triggering diarrhea.
This is due to inulin’s characteristic of resisting digestion in the small intestine yet being fully fermented in the large intestine.
Story by Beneo Asia Pacific MD Christian Philippsen
