Innovations in Mood and Mind Health Food and Drinks: Growth opportunities, effective product strategies and evolution in NPD

The mood/mind health food and drinks market is one of the most exciting and innovative in the global industry thanks to its strong growth (albeit from a small base). This report has been written as an investigation into a new market with huge opportunities for global growth. It is very much an embryonic segment within the functional food and drinks sector, which continues to churn out some of the most innovative and original new products within the global food and drink industry.

As is the nature of the food and drink business, emerging sectors such as mood/mind health have the ability to create a buzz among curious consumers and the potential to spark inspiration and interest from manufacturers/retailers.

Over the past four years (since 2006), the sector has experienced significant changes, as more and more people show an interest in purchasing products to suit/improve their mood, improve mental acuity and target specific concerns (related to wellbeing and mental health). Products such as confectionery, bakery and soft drinks are traditionally perceived as indulgent, but recipe reformulation, re-branding and a change in marketing strategy can help to target mood/mind health. A change in strategy can introduce existing products to new potential target audiences, retail and distribution opportunities.

Key features of this report

• Analysis of sales values and volumes for the functional food and drink market in Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific.
• Evaluation of the drivers behind the changing functional food and drink market (becoming more health-centric, niche and specific to individual health concerns) with a focus on moods/emotions and mental health.
• Coverage of 18 categories (under the mood food/mental health heading) including soft drinks, baby food, ready meals, snacks and dairy.

Scope of this report

• Understand each regional market in terms of absolute size as well as the future potential of each type of product.
• Evaluate the potential of sub-categories by comparing new product launches, maturity of market etc within the global food and drink sector.
• Inform your sales team and/or export department by prioritising the geographical markets best suited to your current range of products.
• Evaluate whether you should be looking beyond your current product portfolio for future opportunities within the functional food and drink market.

Key Market Issues

• Over the past four years, the sector has experienced significant changes, as more and more people show an interest in purchasing products to match/improve their mood, improve mental acuity and target specific concerns (related to wellbeing and mental health).
• Consumers are likely to grow increasingly bored of the standard ‘energy drink’ flavors which have to date been (in the most part) limited to fruit flavors, as more and more products are brought to market. An emerging ingredient, the schisandra berry, has not yet made a major appearance in this market but this is expected to change in the next 12 to 18 months as more new products are developed in line with growing market opportunities.
• Justifying a premium price in hard financial times is essential to long-term success and brands that have credible support for the bold health claims they are making in relation to improvements of mind/mood health should be able to justify their existence to their target audience (people who are looking to food and drink as prevention rather than cure).

Key findings from this report


• The functional food and drink sector is experiencing consolidation in established markets such as the UK and US, and holds massive growth potential in ‘emerging’ countries including China, India and Russia.
• The maturation of the functional food and drink market in countries such as Japan has paved the way for the introduction of more niche and health-specific products such as those targeting moods, emotions and mental health.
• Over the next three to five years, antioxidants will become even more important to the mood/mind health food and drinks market. Already gaining ground across other food and drink categories as a result of growing consumer understanding of their importance to a healthy diet (food and drink PR, marketing and advertising campaigns are primarily responsible for this growing understanding), antioxidant-rich ingredients such as cherries, pomegranates, blueberries and more exotic berries such as acai will feature more regularly in mind/mood NPD.




Report Highlights

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Table of Contents
Innovations in Mood & Mind Health Food & Drinks
Executive summary 8
Introduction to moods foods and mental health 8
Drivers behind the evolution of the mood food market 9
NPD analysis by region, flavor and sub-category 10
Leading global trends in mood food 11
Conclusions and success strategies 12
Chapter 1 Introduction 14
Summary 14
What is this report about? 14
Report methodology 15
Report structure 18
Chapter 2 Drivers behind the evolution of the mood/mind health market 20
Summary 20
Introduction 21
Self-prescription 21
Food not supplements 22
Depression treatments: medicinal versus nutritional 23
Top five disorders targeted by anti-depressant medication 24
Top five anti-depressant sales and total value 25
Medication through nutrition 27
The food and mood project survey 27
Beneficial nutritional self-help strategies 28
Responses to health claims 30
Ingredients innovation 32
Green super-ingredients 34
Essential fatty acids for memory enhancement 36
Lifestyle targeting 39
R&D and scientific breakthroughs 40
Maturation of the global functional market 43
Global functional food and drink market growth to 2012 43
Functional food and drink market value 44
Chapter 3 NPD analysis by region, flavor and sub-category 48
Summary 48
Introduction 49
Regional analysis 49
Asia Pacific 50
Europe 54
Latin America 58
Middle East & Africa 62
North America 65
Case study: HealthShots 69
Flavor analysis 70
Top 20 flavors in mind/mood health food and drinks 70
Top 20 fastest growing flavors in mind/mood health food and drinks 72
Top 10 future flavor forecast in the mind/mood health food and drink market 75
Product tag analysis 76
Top 20 tags on mood/mind food and drinks 2006-2009 76
Focus on antioxidants 77
Sub-category analysis 79
Growth of mind/mood food and drinks NPD by sub-category 79
Diversification in NPD type between 2006 and 2009 80
Chapter 4 Leading global trends in mood food 84
Summary 84
Introduction 85
Celebrity endorsement 85
Repositioning traditional products 86
Daily dosing 87
Premiumization 88
Convenience 89
Wholesome image 91
The organic debate 92
Diet aids 95
Indulgence 96
Chapter 5 Conclusions and strategies for success 100
Introduction 100
Strategies for success 101
Actionable conclusions for marketing 102
Actionable conclusions for NPD 104

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List of Tables
Table 2.1: Top five disorders targeted by anti-depressant medication, by country (%), 2007-2008 24
Table 2.2: Top five anti-depressant sales and total value, by country ($000), 2007-2008 25
Table 2.3: Top five anti-depressant sales and total value, by country ($000), 2007-2008 (cont) 26
Table 2.4: Functional food and drink market value in Europe, the US and Asia Pacific ($m), 2002–12 44
Table 3.5: Top 20 flavors in mind/mood health food and drinks, 2006- 2009 72
Table 3.6: Top 20 fastest growing flavors in mind and mood health, 2009 73
Table 3.7: Top 20 tags on mood/mind food and drinks 2006-2009 76
Table 3.8: Growth of mind/mood food and drinks by sub-category 2006-2009 79


List of Figures
Figure 2.1: Beneficial nutritional self-help strategies 29
Figure 2.2: Products with ‘green’ ingredients 36
Figure 2.3: Awareness versus availability of selected cognitive health ingredients 40
Figure 2.4: Global functional food and drink market growth, (%), 2002-2012 43
Figure 3.5: Share of mind/mood food and drinks NPD, by region (%), 2006-09 50
Figure 3.6: Black O-Pium energy drink with reishi mushroom introduced in Singapore in 2006 51
Figure 3.7: Mind and mood food and drinks launched in Asia Pacific 52
Figure 3.8: Balance Water brand targets women and children with flower essences 54
Figure 3.9: Mind and mood food and drinks launched in Europe 56
Figure 3.10: Lucozade range 58
Figure 3.11: Mind and mood food and drinks launched in Latin America 60
Figure 3.12: Three new flavors in the EQ range of tablets to make any drink into an energy drink 61
Figure 3.13: Mind and mood food and drinks launched in Middle East and Africa 62
Figure 3.14: Potion Herbal Remedy Energy Shots 65
Figure 3.15: Mind and mood food and drinks launched in North America 68
Figure 3.16: HealthShots: Brain Refresh, Men’s Edge & Sustained Energy 69
Figure 3.17: Share of mind/mood food and drinks, by sub-category (%), 2006-09 80
Figure 3.18: Share of mind/mood food and drinks, by type (%), 2006-09 81
Figure 4.19: Healthy convenient products with mind/mood benefits 91
Figure 4.20: Organic products with mood/mind benefits 94
Figure 4.21: Diet aids with mind/mood benefits 96
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