F&B Insights Asia Magazine Issue3 F&B Insights Asia Magazine Issue3 | Page 18

THE NIGHT SHIFT
Evening is tapped as a new occasion for
functional food and drink formulations.
The increasingly hectic pace of modern
life is creating a market for food and drink
that helps people of all ages calm down
before bedtime, sleep better and restore
the body while they rest. Products can
leverage the reputation of the tea category
and use chamomile, lavender and other
herbs as a way to achieve a sense calm
before bedtime, while chocolate could be
positioned as a way to wind down after
a stressful day. Ahead, there is potential
for more evening-focused innovations
formulated for relaxation, satiety and,
taking a cue from the beauty industry, food
and drink that provide functional benefits
while the consumer sleeps.
BALANCING THE
SCALES: HEALTH FOR
EVERYONE
Healthy food and drink are
not “luxuries.”
Inequality is not just a political or
philanthropic issue — it also will resonate
more with the food and drink industry.
Many lower-income consumers want to
improve their diets but the access to —
and the cost of — healthy food and drink
is often an impediment. More campaigns
and innovations are to be expected
that will make it easier for lower-income
consumers to fulfill their healthy ambitions,
including apps to help people make use of
ingredients that are on sale and, in a tie-
in with Mintel’s 2017 Global Food & Drink
Trend Waste Not, a value-priced box of
“wonky” veg.
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Jenny Zegler, Global Food and Drink
Analyst at Mintel, said:
“This year’s trends are grounded in current
consumer demands for healthy, convenient
and trustworthy food and drink. Across the
world, manufacturers and retailers have
opportunities to provide more people with
food and drink that is recognisable, saves
time and contains servings of beneficial
fruits, vegetables and other plants. In
addition, Mintel has identified exciting
new opportunities for functional food and
drink designed for evening consumption,
progressive solutions for food waste and
affordable healthy food for low-income
consumers. Opportunities abound
for companies around the world to
capitalise on these trends, helping
them develop in new regions and
more categories throughout the
course of the next year and into
the future.