The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), Harleysville, PA, has expanded on one of the key trends it has identified as having a significant impact in 2006. According to NMI's Health Wellness Trends Database, 2006 will see the continued propagation of specific nutrient platform drivers across food/beverages and nutritional supplements. The desire for specificity is evident as 57% of all U.S. consumers indicate they are looking for foods that have a specific health claim and about half prefer to buy vitamins/minerals/herbals/dietary supplements that have a specific health claim. Use of functional foods and condition-specific supplements are also on the rise, showing 5-year compound annual growth rates of 17% and 16% respectively.
"This desire for health claims is evident across many consumer packaged goods," said Maryellen Molyneaux, NMI president. "For example, with over 29 million people (adults and children) suffering from food allergies, allergen-free foods will continue to experience solid growth. Introductions of gluten-free foods alone have shown a 50% compound annual growth over the past six years and generate U.S. retail sales in excess of $400 million."