Functional beverage ingredients cascara, aronia berries, CBD and cacao are still on the periphery, but have potential to gain widespread appeal.

Consumers demand food and beverage products that deliver a wide range of benefits and address health and wellness needs on the go. In addition to convenience, food movements (i.e., veganism, vegetarianism, paleo, etc.) and sustainability advocates are contributing to the growth of functional food and beverage. Awareness of novel ingredients such as maca, reishi mushrooms and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil is on the rise as consumers turn to foods, as opposed to medications, for health and wellness benefits. Some of these trending ingredients are newly discovered, e.g., mushroom protein, and others are rooted in ancient wisdom and are now being used in novel applications, e.g., matcha. In many cases, the less traditional and less known now has a new consumer appeal. In other words, fringe is in.

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