Today, it’s necessary for food and beverage manufacturers to address a range of challenges that go beyond the conventional requirements to fuel the body. The sports nutrition industry has undergone a shift towards inclusivity, embracing a broader audience beyond those searching for sports performance.
The sports nutrition industry has undergone a shift towards inclusivity, embracing a broader audience beyond those searching for sports performance. Driving this evolution is a surge in convenient options like ready-to-drink protein shakes, electrolyte drinks and nutrition bars, catering to individuals with active lifestyles seeking on-the-go solutions.
The move to meet everyday health needs has propelled the market towards active nutrition, where the offerings are more universal and inclusive compared to the performance-focused nature of traditional sports nutrition products. The market today is dynamic and diverse and recognises that consumers have varied health and fitness goals which is fostering solutions that cater to a wide range of health-conscious individuals.
Today, it’s necessary for food and beverage manufacturers to address a range of challenges that go beyond the conventional requirements to fuel the body. For example, consumers want a product that provides the necessary health properties but also tastes great. The challenge lies in creating formulations that meet the nutritional demands of a health-conscious market, while also enticing the taste buds, to ensure a pleasurable consumption experience.
Achieving a palatable taste and appealing texture in liquid formulations is a complex process. Ingredients must provide nutritional benefits and contribute positively to the overall sensory experience.
Masking the inherent bitterness or unpleasant tastes of certain active ingredients is a key challenge in liquid formulations. Ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, or amino acids — while being nutritionally beneficial — can affect the overall palatability of the product. These ingredients can interact with each other over time, too, which can lead to changes in taste, colour, texture, and the stability of a product. These changes are caused by several complex and physical processes, from chemical reactions, precipitation and aggregation to emulsion breakdown and pH changes.
Meanwhile, the viscosity of a liquid formulation and its mouthfeel are additionally critical aspects influencing overall texture. Achieving the right thickness and smoothness, for example, enhances a product's palatability, making it more enjoyable for consumers. However, striking this balance can be challenging, especially when incorporating ingredients like proteins or fibres.
There are many considerations when it comes to adding ingredients, such as protein source variation, solubility, and the use of specific ingredients. Protein drinks often rely on a range of protein sources, such as whey, casein, soy, or pea protein. Each source has unique properties that can affect viscosity and mouthfeel differently. Achieving a consistent and desirable texture — without clumps of protein across different formulations — requires careful adjustments.
More consumers are interested in general health improvement, a key dynamic behind the growth of the active nutrition trend. Manufacturers are looking for ways to become more accessible and engaging while simultaneously more relevant. Consumer interest in general health and their understanding of ingredients has increased too, presenting an opportunity for manufacturers to deliver clean-label products which appeal to a wider audience and differentiate in a rapidly expanding marketplace.
Consumers today are increasingly mindful of what goes into their bodies. As a result, demand for clean-label products is on the rise, with 59% of global consumers saying they have paid more attention to ingredients listings over the last year. In addition, convenient and better-for-you products that have a clean label are ideal for tapping into the demand for active nutrition products. These better-for-you products also need to meet the demands for reduced sugar, with this market growing at almost 4% CAGR.
Plant-based claims in sports nutrition are gaining momentum globally with 25% year-on-year growth, presenting a major opportunity for manufacturers to capitalise on the plant-based sports nutrition market. With the majority of our ingredients being plant-based, Ingredion is perfectly placed to help manufacturers formulate consumer-preferred products that utilise on-trend ingredients.
Ingredion’s broad portfolio of ingredients offers the desired nutritional and functional benefits consumers demand. For example, Ingredion’s plant-based protein concentrates have been extracted and processed using advanced, proprietary physical processing to result in a much cleaner flavour profile without the usual beany, bitter notes associated with the use of such ingredients. In addition, Ingredion has several flavours with modifying properties, labelled simply as ‘natural flavouring’, which typically mask undesirable notes, so the end product is recognisably cleaner tasting. For those wishing to reduce or remove sugar, Ingredion’s range of plant-based stevia sweeteners work synergistically with the proteins, starches and modifiers to provide great-tasting but healthier propositions.
Our range of clean label texturizing starches and citrus fibres also lends both to improved stabilisation of particulate ingredients, but also to a significant improvement in mouthfeel in the finished, ready-to-drink product, providing a smooth, desirable texture.
As the sports and active nutrition market continues to expand, manufacturers are finding innovative ways to meet consumer demands for taste, texture, health, and nutrition. Balancing these elements in liquid formulations presents unique challenges, from masking inherent bitterness to achieving the perfect mouthfeel. However, with the growing consumer interest in general health and clean label products, there are ample opportunities for innovation. Ingredion's advanced portfolio exemplifies this evolution, offering clean label, plant-based ingredients that not only enhance nutritional value but also elevate the sensory experience, ensuring products appeal to the health-conscious consumer's palate and wellness goals.
[1] FMCG Gurus, 2023
[1] Zero Sugar Beverages Market Outlook (2023 to 2033), 2023
[1] Innova Market Insights, 2023
