Functional beverages containing probiotics trend upwards

The global pandemic has fostered greater interest in health and wellness, and experts laud social media as playing a big role in educating consumers and showcasing a variety of dietary supplements and other products that deliver functional benefits.

“On TikTok, the hashtag for probiotics touts over 107 million views alone, not including views on varied hashtags,” explains Erin Costello, communications and events associate at Niles, Ill.-based Imbibe. “While many of the short-form videos include DIY recipes for probiotic beverages, this gave opportunity for brands to have an inside look at what consumers are looking for from their products and a place to add sponsored posts and advertisements while people were spending their time at home on their phones. We’ve also seen 30% growth of #probiotics on Instagram, between August 2020 and January 2022.”

Sayantan Paul, senior food scientist for Minneapolis-based Spoonshot, concurs that social media is contributing to consumer interest in probiotics, which has grown by 30.6% in the past five years.