Articles Tagged with ''health and wellness''

In response to consumers seeking healthier options, vending machines now stock a broader food and beverage portfolio along with the “smart” technological solutions like Apple Pay and Google Pay. On-machine signage also is helping consumers to better evaluate their choices.

Chef Roger Mooking loves giving traditional dishes an exotic twist on his Food Network Canada TV show “Everyday Exotic.” Consumers’ desire for exotic flavors also has helped push tropical fruits into mainstream beverage formulations. Yet, ingredient suppliers note that the growing demand for exotic fruits also taps into broader, mainstream trends.

Maintaining overall fitness used to be considered a niche interest. Founded in 2004, Boca Raton, Fla.-based Celsius Holdings Inc. has experienced the impact of the growing demand for health-and-wellness products in the mainstream market.

Although more than half of consumers have purchased milk, juice and/or carbonated soft drinks in the past 30 days, sales were stagnant during 2014-2015 with top categories struggling to grab consumer attention, according to Chicago-based Mintel’s June 2016 “Beverage Packaging Trends” report.

Although it has been available in the U.S. beverage market for about 15 years, kombucha has gained broad consumer appeal within the past several years, according to New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation’s (BMC) September 2016 report titled “U.S. Ready-To-Drink Tea through 2020.” As health and wellness has progressed from a niche interest to mass consumer appeal, this beverage segment has reaped the benefits.

In January 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines. The eighth edition of this report highlighted the importance of following a healthy eating plan that includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods as well as limiting calories from components such as added sugars, saturated fats and reducing sodium intake.

There’s an idiom that states to “feed a cold, starve a fever.” To stay healthy and prevent illnesses like the common cold, consumers increasingly are turning to foods and beverages that are high in natural, immunity-boosting ingredients like antioxidants.