One organization offers studies pointing to the role that proteins, particularly whey proteins, can play in the functional beverage market for women and Baby Boomers.
A well-documented obesity epidemic1 and a tough economy have forced many U.S. consumers to examine the cost and nutritional value of their food and beverage purchases. The rising obesity rate in the U.S. provides direct and poignant evidence of how difficult it is for Americans to follow through on their desire to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. This challenge, however, is an important factor for the functional beverage market, as 38% of respondents to a 2009 Mintel survey viewed functional beverages as a way to make up for a less-than-healthy diet.2
The booming $8.6 billion functional beverage market is set to grow another estimated 19% by 2014, according to the Mintel report. While the health and economic issues at hand impact a staggering proportion of this country’s population, functional beverage innovators can be most effective in delivering new products to the marketplace by focusing their products and messages to targeted populations.