Functional Water
Water has always been functional. Hydration is essential to survival. At the same time, hydrating through sodas and other sugary beverages, while tasty and thirst-quenching, can lead to various health problems, including obesity and diseases such as diabetes.
These concerns have led to an increasing consumer emphasis on healthier lifestyles and diets, notably less or no sugar, more natural ingredients, and fewer additives. As a result, demand for sugary drinks in some segments is declining in favor of healthier options. In conjunction, the desire for palatable beverages continues, combined with a growing demand for drinks offering flavor and function.
What Are Functional Beverages?
Sports and energy drinks provide taste, stamina, electrolytes, and an energy boost in the functional beverages category. Nutraceuticals offer beneficial added ingredients such as vitamins, antioxidants, probiotics, fiber, calcium, or collagen. Fresh juices and smoothies provide flavorsome natural nutrition. Promised benefits include relaxation, enhanced mental or physical performance, boosted immune function, beauty or anti-aging, and general well-being from micronutrients or other bioactive compounds.
With an estimated 42% of American Adults preferring functional food and drink, the functional beverages category dominates the non-alcoholic drinks market and continues to grow consistently. According to American International Foods, Inc., the category is forecast to expand from $51 billion to around $71 billion by 2028, a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.90%.1
Within the category, functional water is expected to show a CAGR of 6.49%, from USD 9.16 to USD 11.68 billion, driven by major non-alcoholic beverage industry players, including The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc.2
What Is Functional Water?
Functional water innovations leverage a growing health focus, whether mental, gut, skin, energy or otherwise. Beyond water’s life-giving properties and the addition of flavor and healthful ingredients, manufacturers can tweak water’s chemical composition to increase oxygen or hydrogen content. The former can help boost energy, while the latter may help address inflammation. The possibilities are numerous.
Many factors drive interest in the category. These include expanding health consciousness and the desire for convenience – functional water is a quick, easy, and enjoyable way of adding nutrients to the diet while hydrating. Also contributing is the appeal of the available products, including unexpected offerings, such as CBD- and caffeine-infused and low-calorie protein water products.
The category includes still and sparkling water, with light carbonation helping to promote the absorption of specific functional elements such as vitamin D.3 Manufacturers often design their functional water to offer a satisfying taste and mouthfeel to help draw and retain soda drinkers.
Working With Functional Water Ingredients
Fruit, vegetables, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and amino acids are familiar ingredients. However, some minerals and additives have flavors that may require neutralizing or masking, and blending more exotic and unusual components, such as spices, may require careful and artful balancing.
The right flavor, aroma profile, and ingredients are therefore paramount. Ensure the water is pure, the additions and changes are healthy and positive, and ingredients are natural, clean, sustainable, and increasingly, plant-based. In keeping with consumer preference, using only responsibly sourced and produced flavor ingredients is essential.
Create Functional and Flavorful Water With Advanced Biotech
Advanced Biotech’s comprehensive collection of 100% natural, EU-certified flavor and aroma ingredients includes extracts, aromatics, distillates, oleoresins, and more. Elevate water today to accentuate your offering but keep your labels clean to help your users stay healthy and happy. Contact us for more information, to place an order, request product samples, or collaborate on developing novel ingredients to meet your needs.
1 https://www.americaninternationalfoods.com/2024/01/29/2024-beverage-trends/
2 https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/north-america-functional-water-market
3 https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/5-functional-water-trends