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10 Key trends in food, nutrition and health 2010: How to succeed in recessionary times

J Mellentin

Digestive health continues to be the biggest trend. Its importance to consumers has been underscored by the impressive growth rates of digestive health brands, with sales of even premium brands increasing by 10%-20% during the recession. And yet digestive health still has huge areas of untapped potential in most countries around the world, especially for fibre fortified products and products in the beverage and cereal categories.

Bones and Movement enters our top-10 trends this year for the first time. It’s a trend that has been gathering momentum thanks to the increasing number of people over the age of 40, who have more reason to be aware of the health of their bones and joints. It’s a niche that is getting bigger fast and it’s a significant area of opportunity in every continent – and one that has not been fully exploited anywhere except in Asia.

The potential of bones and movement has already got the attention of Europe’s most innovation-minded companies, where the new ultra-restrictive health claims regime may leave “bone health” as one of the very few permitted claims.

The “feel the benefit” advantage of the Elations joint health brand means that it is set for sales of $55 million (€37 million) in 2010, compared to just $15 million (€10 million) two years ago. Offering a benefit that people can feel “has been shown to be an incredibly meaningful claim,” said a spokesperson for Elations.

“Whatever the benefit your brand is offering, it’s key to make sure there is a clear benefit platform and that consumers can quickly feel or measure or experience the benefit – that’s how people see they’re getting value for money,” Mellentin observes.

Each year since 1995, industry expert Julian Mellentin has forecast and analyzed trends in food, nutrition and health. Each trend analysis in this report includes a short bullet-point summary of the trend and of the key factors we believe can contribute to enduring success.

Mellentin’s 10 Key Trends for 2010 are:

Digestive health – a mega-trend moves beyond the tipping point
An intrinsic health benefit that’s also convenient
Feel the benefit – the most powerful marketing message
Energy – a world of untapped opportunities
Fruit and superfruit – the future of food and health
Antioxidants – big in America, dead in Europe?
Weight management
Healthy snacking
Packaging and premiumisation
Bones and movement

This year the report also includes 7 Micro-Trends. These are:

Protein power
Kids’ nutrition
New life for heart-health and cholesterol-lowering?
Probiotics’ new prospects
Immunity – a great claim that’s hard to use
Fresh start for omega-3?
Beauty an ultra-niche opportunity

In addition, this year we address regulatory issues in Europe and what they mean for which trends are likely to succeed – and which ones might disappear – in the European market.

ISBN 1 906297 32 0
ISBN-13: 978 1 906297 32 9
December 2009
98 pages  234 x 156mm  paperback  
£190.00 / US$325.00 / €240.00

Usually dispatched within 1–2 weeks

About the author

Julian Mellentin is one of the world's few international specialists in the business of food, nutrition and health. Julian is the owner and editor of New Nutrition Business, the leading source of industry and market analysis, which has focused solely on researching and forecasting the nutrition business since 1995.

He is also co-author of The Functional Foods Revolution: Healthy people, healthy profits?, the first-ever book on the business of functional foods, now translated into Japanese, and with Peter Wennström of Commercialising Innovation: The Food & Health Marketing Handbook.

Contents

Digestive health: a mega-trend moves beyond the tipping point; An intrinsic health benefit that’s also convenient; Feel the benefit: the most powerful marketing message; Energy: a world of untapped opportunities; Fruit and superfruit: the future of food and health; Antioxidants: big in America, dead in Europe? Weight management; Healthy snacking; Packaging and premiumisation; Bones and movement.