4 New Trends in Food and Beverage Function in EMEA

The food and beverage function market in Europe is still dominated by energy drinks. But the forecast growth for teas and coffees, functional waters, and also dairy alternatives is now higher than the growth of energy drinks.

Because of the pandemic, consumer trends especially in sustainability and personalization have changed, as well as the focus on better health. It creates the opportunity especially in the market of functional food and beverage.

The Opportunities for Food and Beverage Function in EMEA

Various opportunities opened in the market of functional beverages. Below are the bigger opportunities you want to know before entering the EMEA beverage market.

  • Functional teas and coffees

Ready-to-drink or packaged teas and coffees have been traditionally positioned as the energy source with clean labels for those who want to drink healthier beverages.

These drinks offer the energy drink’s benefits in a totally different format.

Some new innovations like the cold brew coffee, dairy blends based on plants, and some new flavors attract people to consume healthier drinks in better tastes. 

The new formats also make people want to try functional ingredients that range from botanicals to MCT and even vitamins.

  • The trend of fasting beverages

The functional drinks are well-positioned in order to address the specific lifestyle and health needs of the consumer.

This includes supporting needs that arise from the most trending diets. There are Zero carb products, products that support the trend of the keto diet, and formulated products for the fasters.

Those products, including the fasting beverages that come with electrolytes as well as the beverages that support the fasted workout, must meet the personalization needs desired by the customers.

  • Functional drinks

The functional waters showed significant growth especially since 2013 in Western Europe. This data outperforms the other waters.

The functional waters that gain customer’s attention today include the minerals and vitamins, hydration, energy, taste, and post-workout recovery waters.

Functional waters come with a low price compared to the other functional drinks. They also come along with the large and widely untapped options range for the functional ingredients that make this beverage a category you need to watch closely.

Today, the European market’s functional waters can be found with high content of electrolytes, protein, vitamins, adaptogens, collagen, and antioxidants.

  • Dairy alternatives

EMEA Food and Beverage also dominated with dairy alternative drinks. Those beverages include the ones made from oat, almond, rice, coconut, cashew, hemp, pea, and many other plant-based drinks.

The taste of those drinks is the key but the customers’ interest must also be considered.

Customers want to drink dairy alternative drinks that are fortified with minerals and vitamins. Those drinks are also fortified with minerals and vitamins in order to compete with the nutrients that can be naturally found in real milk. Those nutrients are also expected to boost the health of customers.

Develop Successful Business in Beverage Industry

Pandemic makes people realize that they need to consume healthier foods and beverages. Many food and beverage function ideas above should be able to show you the opportunities in food and beverage in EMEA, especially in Europe, and help you grab the biggest opportunity.

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