Global retail value of health and wellness beverages reached US$274 billion in 2011, equating to 44% of retail value sales of non-alcoholic beverages. As consumer confidence restores, value demand for health-positioned drinks is returning and growth of health and wellness beverages is set to outperform the wider soft and hot drinks industry over 2012-2016.

Low Calorie, Natural and Functionality Drive Innovation

Consumers tend to look for a low calorie content from healthy beverages, due to growing concerns about rising obesity levels.  But the demand for healthy beverages is moving away from purely low-calorie variants to those which, whilst low-calorie, also offer added health benefits through either a high proportion of natural ingredients, such as stevia or superfruit juice or added functionality. Drinks positioned at particular health concerns such as cardiovascular health or digestive health are therefore becoming more common across the globe.

To find out more about what is driving global interest in healthy beverages check out the latest Health and Wellness global briefing titled: Functionality, Naturalness and Stevia Key to Developing Beverages to Fit Today’s Trends.