Demand is booming across the Asia-Pacific region for ‘healthy’ beverages with pleasing flavour, preferably sustainably produced with minimal social or environmental harm.
According to insights collected from the APAC-MEA division of global ingredients firm Kerry Group; Sweegen; and Royal DSM, demands from the region’s growing number of flexitarians, lactose-intolerant individuals and younger ‘conscious consumers’ have fuelled four major beverage innovation trends: dairy-free, low-sugar, functional and sustainable. All have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent article, Guan Yu Lim spoke with representatives of Kerry, Sweegen and DSM about product innovations arising from this demand, including:
- non-dairy and plant-based beverages, especially oat and almond milks;
- low-sugar options, including less sweet versions of classic products and ‘sugar-free’ products flavoured with stevia;
- functional and fortified beverages, such as vitamin-infused juices and plant-based drinks with added probiotics and fibre; and
- ‘sustainable’ beverage products, made with minimal harm to people or the planet.
Read the full story in FoodNavigator-Asia.
Source: Non-dairy, low sugar, functional and sustainable: Suppliers take on the four trends driving APAC’s beverage innovation I FoodNavigator-Asia