As consumers stay busy — be it on-the-go or at home — experts note that the demand for convenient nutrition has become the norm. Yet, with pandemic concerns boosting consumer attention to their immune systems, more are seeking foods and beverages with a variety of healthy attributes.
Pam Stauffer, global marketing programs manager for Cargill, Wayzata, Minn., notes consumers now expect beverages to support a healthy lifestyle. In fact, she says data from HealthFocus International states that 55 percent of global consumers always or usually choose food or beverages that provide protective or preventative health benefits. Yet, convenience also remains paramount, giving portable nutritious beverages an edge, she says.