For Prepared Foods' 2005 “Functional Foods Survey” (see PF's April 2005 issue), some 67% of respondents who work with beverages ranked them as the category that offered the greatest opportunity for the development of functional foods. “In terms of growth, the area of health and wellness is the best place to be--from a beverage standpoint,” says Hemphill. “It is relatively underdeveloped, and more and more consumers are adopting healthier lifestyles.”
With the consumer at the helm, manufacturers started removing ingredients that were perceived as unhealthy, and placed more emphasis on diet or carbonated soft drinks with lower calories. The formulation of healthful beverages today includes the addition of ingredients with a healthy aura. “We think that is going to evolve even more so,” says Hemphill.