2017 Ingredients for Health Guide: Skin and Bone Health Update

Bone and joint health product launch activity represented under 1% of all global food and beverage launches in 2014 and again in 2015

Functional Food & Beverage Products — SOURCE: T.J. Hine Photography

December 14, 2016

Bone and joint health still remains very niche, with product launch activity tracked by Innova Market Insights with either a bone health or joint health claim representing under 1% of all global food and beverage launches in 2014 and again in 2015.

The Milk & Milk Drinks category—thanks to the inherent calcium content in milk—was the leading sub-category in 2015 for global bone and joint health positioned product launch activity, representing 13% of such product launches tracked by Innova Market Insights.

Baby Cereals & Biscuits (11%) and Sports Powders (9%) also were popular for bone/joint health claims in 2015, with Breakfast Cereals (5%), Drink Concentrates & Mixes (3%) and Juice & Juice drinks (2%) coming in as the most prevalent non-dairy categories for claims.

Added calcium is an alternative means by which to convey bone health benefits. However, global product launches with such a positioning actually decreased by 12% in 2015 from 2014. The evolving Dairy & Alternative Drinks market was the leading sub-category for added calcium claims in 2015, representing 20% of product launches, followed by Milk & Milk drinks with 14%.

New product development with a skin health focus remains relatively niche as far as the bigger picture of health is concerned. However, Innova Market Insights tracking finds that global product launches—with a skin health positioning—did increase by 17% in 2015 from 2014.

Juice & Juice Drinks is the leading market sub-category for skin health claims in 2015, representing 12% of product launches, while Snack Nuts & Seeds is the leading food sub-category for claims with 6% of activity. Examples of claims found on products include “for glowing skin” and “an aid for flawless skin and to look younger.”

The Sports Powders sub-category is a market to watch for growth for skin health or beauty claims in general. Although most sports powders are either fairly neutral or have a strong bias towards men, a few select suppliers have shown interest in marketing specifically to women. While only a small amount of all launches have a specific feminine bias, there have still been some interesting developments. The word “beauty” for example, has been used for branding in order to ally the idea of enhanced athletic performance and lean muscle with overall beauty.