Health and Wellness

The pandemic resulted in heightened health and wellness awareness among local consumers, which has led to them reducing their intake of certain ingredients detrimental to their health, such as sugar, fat and salt. This trend continued to drive demand…

Hong Kong started 2022 with the fifth wave of COVID-19, with over 1.2 million citizens testing positive during the first quarter of the year. The outbreak dramatically intensified consumers’ concerns regarding their health and wellness, particularly…

Local consumers have been paying greater attention to their diets as well as their gut health since the pandemic. As such, when consumers in Hong Kong choose cooking ingredients and meals, the natural claim is one of their main concerns. It is…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

One of the major issues of the pandemic was that people had fewer opportunities to do physical activities, as they stayed at home most of the time. Accordingly, many people gained weight, with the number of people diagnosed with overweight and…

Awareness of healthy eating is rising in the country, especially the need to reduce sugar intake. For instance, in December 2019, the United Arab Emirates adopted an excise tax of 50% on beverages with high sugar or sweetener content to improve the…

At the beginning of the review period, gluten free staple foods was an underdeveloped category. Specialised channels such as health food stores and organic supermarkets were the main distribution channels and consumers who struggled with issues…

In 2022, more consumers, particularly those of the younger generation, started looking for high protein staple foods as a result of the fitness craze. An increasing number of people began to visit gyms and exercise regularly in the review period.…

Plant-based meat and seafood substitutes enjoyed strong growth in current value terms in 2022 with the category continuing to benefit from the rising number of vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian consumers in Sweden. Consumers are looking to eat…

In 2022, demand for staples foods was polarised between consumers searching for lower prices due to high inflation in the country and those who opted to adopt healthier diets and were willing and able to pay more for higher quality or specific value,…

The idea of health and wellness varies at a category level within staple foods. For instance, high fibre products that use whole grains have a strong position in rice, baked goods, and breakfast cereals. Sales of grain-added rice, such as brown rice,…

2022 saw many South Africans reduce their spending on perceived non-essentials as the cost of living increased. In many aspects, health and wellness demands from consumers took a backseat in their priorities, given inflationary pressures. Major…

In 2022, amid inflationary pressures and the higher cost of living in Singapore, consumers placed greater emphasis on essential goods and often prioritised cheaper alternatives with similar quality and health benefits, resulting in uneven value…

The purchasing decisions of consumers are increasingly influenced by health concerns. Rising awareness of health was particularly accelerated by measures from the government in the form of its Healthy Food Strategy to ensure the health of the nation…

While vegetarian staple foods continued to gain strength in Poland in 2022, they were already treated as basic products by Polish consumers. For this reason, producers have been attempting to raise consumers’ interest with additional features in…

Bread is the most commonly eaten major source of carbohydrates in New Zealand. However, keto diets and an overall increasing awareness about managing caloric intake is seeing consumers seek out low carb versions of their favourite products. Goodman…

While sales of meat free staple foods remained negligible in Mexico in 2022, various brands of plant-based meat alternatives are becoming more visible on retail shelves. Previously, these products were available almost exclusively via specialist…

In packaged cakes, there is a growing demand for products that both satisfy the need for indulgence while still being considered a healthy eating option. In this context, Italian consumers are looking for low fat and low sugar cakes and that are rich…

Rising health awareness is increasingly driving Indonesians to make dietary changes in an effort to improve their nutritional intake, lose weight and reduce the risk of certain diseases. This trend – which was reinforced by concerns surrounding…

Traditionally, an Indian breakfast generally consisted of cooked food such as idli, dosa, paratha, and upma. However, in the past few years, with increasingly hectic lifestyles, urban consumers have been pressed for time, and consumers have looked…

The consumer base in Turkey increased in 2022, as the country saw substantial immigration, and also a strong influx of tourists. Despite inflationary pressures and higher prices, the consumption of soft drinks increased, and the focus on health and…

The United Arab Emirates has been following a policy of economic diversification, and has continued to build the country as a tourism, retail, and lifestyle destination, which has contributed to the growth of health and wellness soft drinks. The…

The transition to low sugar and no sugar products began a few years ago, although the pandemic accelerated the trend. The pandemic brought significant changes in the way consumers approached their health and wellness which led to a sudden and…

There has been a general increase in awareness of health and wellness amongst Taiwanese consumers since the COVID-19 crisis, which is having a direct impact on consumers’ decision-making when they are purchasing soft drinks. Local consumer demand for…

The shift from traditional or sugary alternatives, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, to low/no sugar variants, like Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Light, and Pepsi Max, is not a new trend, but it is the longest standing health trend in soft drinks. This…

Sugar intake remains one of the primary concerns for consumers in Spain, which supported demand for low sugar, no sugar and no added sugar claims within soft drinks in 2022. A major contribution comes from no sugar cola carbonates. While lower-income…

During the pandemic, South Korean consumers became more conscious of the need for healthy hydration and the reduction of sugar consumption. This led to dynamic growth for natural bottled water and “water-like” natural RTD tea. Although decline was…

With the continued development of the health and wellness industry in South Africa, children are being increasingly targeted as a significant consumer group for healthier soft drinks. Much of this is being driven by local parents, who are becoming…

Amid upcoming tightened regulations on the advertising of high sugar drinks and ongoing inflationary pressures, soft drinks are expected to downsize in terms of pack sizes to better accommodate impulse consumption occasions. Commencing on 30 December…

The Saudi government aims to promote physical and social wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle through its Quality of Life programme, which is one of its Vision 2030 initiatives. It pays great attention to sports, as partaking in sports activities has…

As the number of obese and overweight people in Poland has been increasing, NGOs and the Ministry of Health promote increasing physical activity and reducing calorie consumption, especially underlining reducing the consumption of sugary drinks. The…

While low sugar content was the major health and wellness consideration amongst consumers over the review period, COVID-19 has brought functional health and wellness benefits to the forefront of consumer decision making. This has positively impacted…

The review period saw the introduction of new regulations relating to the labelling of packaged food and soft drinks that promote greater transparency in terms of the nutritional content of these products. Regulation NOM-173, which entered into force…

The strongest trend in health and wellness soft drinks in Italy in 2022 concerned the development of low sugar and no added sugar soft drinks. This was linked to the growing media attention on Italy’s rising obesity rate and the health risks…

As Indonesians become more health-conscious, they are increasingly inclined to choose – and often willing to pay a premium for – soft drinks with added functional ingredients that can improve their general wellbeing, reduce the risk of certain…

Over the last few years, The Coca-Cola Co has been trying to diversify by introducing a host of health and wellness beverages and reducing its dependence on sugary carbonated drinks. For instance, it is working on reducing the sugar content of its…

Consumers in Turkey have become highly price-sensitive, given the steep inflation rate and the decrease in tourism, as the country traditionally benefited from tourist arrivals from both Ukraine and Russia, with this disrupted by the war in Ukraine.…

Due to a combination of long working hours, sedentary lifestyles, and poor eating habits, overweight and obesity are major problems in the United Arab Emirates. Indeed, Euromonitor International data show that 39.7% of the population was classified…

Vegan snacks registered a strong sales performance in 2022 as all vegan categories achieved above average growth, including vegan ice cream, which performed particularly well. Moreover, the range of vegan chocolate confectionery is constantly…

The already prominent health and wellness trend received a significant boost from the experiences of the COVID-19 crisis, as consumers faced the fear of contracting the disease and the challenges posed by the sedentary lifestyles and overconsumption…

Swedes love their snacks with high levels of per capita consumption for most categories but demand for healthier options remains comparatively quite low. Unlike most packaged food categories where consumers are opting for healthier alternatives of…

Spaniards are increasingly reducing their sugar intake when consuming packaged foods, including snacks that contain low sugar content. This trend has become mainstream within sweet biscuits. Local consumers want to treat themselves but with no…

Increasing media coverage about high consumption of sugar, fat and salt raising the chances of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer, has increased demand for products low in these ingredients. Concerns about…

Private label snacks have grown in popularity as South Africans seek affordable alternatives to well-known, established brands. Retailers are capitalising on this trend by investing in research and development to create innovative snacks that cater…

The global energy crunch in 2022 led to cost inflation which adversely impacted Singapore’s import-reliant snacks industry, resulting in price-sensitive consumers’ shift to favouring snacks in larger pack sizes which offer better value for money.…

The offer of and demand for healthier snacks continued to grow significantly during 2022, in line with rising health consciousness amongst consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic raised consumers’ awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles, including…

With rising awareness of healthy food, Polish consumers have been gradually turning towards healthy snacks whenever they can, including on-the-go, for school, work, and picnics. Producers of packaged snacks therefore aim to provide consumers with…

While health and wellness preferences have been an important growth driver in plant-based and vegan snacks, consumers’ increased awareness of the environmental impact of their consumption patterns has become a key factor. Greenhouse gas emissions…

Within the broader context, snacks is a dynamic category with almost constant new product launches and growth fuelled by innovation. However, snacks are rarely, if ever, seen as essential products and this means that most consumers are willing to…

The pandemic adversely affected consumption of snack bars with these products having fallen out of favour as consumers spent more time at home, but with the return to normal life in 2022, sales also returned to growth. Convenience and taste were at…