Purposeful meals have turn out to be a key a part of fashionable diets. No extra is the development pushed by well being and wellness aspirations alone – more and more, shoppers are in search of out meals that may enhance their sleep, intestine well being, temper, or immunity.
Based on Lumina Intelligence information, components similar to nutritional vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre, probiotics and omega-3s dominate consciousness and buying behaviour.
However the way in which shoppers understand performance differs by market: in Asia, notably in China, Malaysia and South Korea, cultural familiarity with purposeful components assist the expansion of the section; and within the West, adoption is linked to bettering efficiency and health, with high-protein merchandise outperforming the remainder of the class.
However protein has a formidable challenger in fibre, the nutrient that most individuals are poor in.
Shoppers more and more perceive this actuality and are actively searching for methods to spice up diet – whereas producers are responding via product innovation and reformulation.
And as with every development, social media performs a significant half in fibre’s rising position in fashionable diets.
“Shoppers are listening to greater than ever about intestine well being and fiber via social media traits like Fibermaxxing and GutTok,” Kristie Leigh, Director of Vitamin and Scientific Affairs, Danone US, advised us. “Based on 2026 information ready for Danone by The Hartman Group, almost seven in 10 shoppers say they’re actively making an attempt to extend fibre consumption.”
Shoppers are primarily targeted on entrance of pack claims and total label copy to tell them {that a} meals is an effective supply of fibre, she added.
“Greater than 20% of shoppers studying labels test for fiber content material. Nonetheless, analysis carried out in 2024 discovered nearly 1 / 4 of Individuals have been nonetheless not sure of what prebiotic fibres are and over one-third weren’t positive how they might influence well being.
“This creates a possibility for the meals trade to shut the hole with easier, extra science-based communication that helps shoppers higher perceive fibre’s position in intestine well being and make extra knowledgeable decisions within the aisle.”
Why do shoppers need fibre?
The understanding of fibre’s position in well being and wellness is evolving – and that’s impacting client expectations of purposeful meals and beverage.
Danone’s Leigh stated: “We’re discovering that buyers are more and more connecting fibre not simply to digestion, however to broader advantages like metabolic well being, immunity, and weight administration, notably via emotions of fullness and blood sugar stabilisation.”
“Fibre helps nourish a balanced intestine microbiome, selling microbial variety and supporting environment friendly digestion.”
Kristie Leigh, Director of Vitamin and Scientific Affairs, Danone US
“Amongst extra superior well being and wellness shoppers, fiber can be related to broader systemic advantages, together with coronary heart well being, metabolic well being, irritation administration, and rising connections to immunity and temper – although these advantages are sometimes seen as secondary to digestion moderately than standalone drivers,” she added.
Are fortified meals held in comparable regard to naturally fibre-rich meals?
Based on Lumina Intelligence information, shoppers aren’t equally enticed by purposeful meals. Markets in Southern and Continental Europe – assume France and Italy – see customers lean extra in direction of minimally-processed meals and will really feel sceptical about purposeful meals. However even in these markets, greater than half of the shoppers surveyed (round 60% in France and 63% in Italy) stated they do purchase meals with added advantages.
What customers are rather more invested in is style and texture in addition to comfort.
“Fashionable shoppers need extra out of their meals. Together with the elevated stress for GLP-1 shoppers to pack diets with important vitamins into smaller portions, on-the-go and snacking codecs proceed to thrive,” stated Leigh.
“In the meantime, 38% of shoppers sought intestine well being data in 2025 and 29% reported utilizing meals, purposeful drinks or dietary supplements to handle their intestine well being. Danone’s Activia Fiber merchandise are formulated to assist intestine well being by combining billions of reside/lively probiotics with a superb supply of fibre (3g per serving).
“In the meantime, as we close to the one-year anniversary of Oikos coming into the centre-store, Oikos Protein Shakes proceed to be a go-to supply for shoppers in search of protein to assist muscle well being (30g of full protein) and digestive well being assist (5g of prebiotic fibre).”
Additionally learn → Danone launches ambient protein shakes to seize a billion-dollar market
Shoppers embrace easier labels
Pure colors are additionally more and more necessary for clean-label formulations.
Susan Zaripheh, PhD, chief analysis and innovation officer at Danone US and Canada, advised us: “Shoppers are components and the performance of components when reviewing product labels. For these shoppers searching for clear label merchandise, licensed color can play a job, and there are situations the place the removing of the color has no influence on the product itself however contributes to a simplified product and label. 70% of shoppers choose merchandise with quick, recognisable ingredient lists.”
The truth is, early indicators and information from the overwhelming majority of Danone US’ portfolio reveals that buyers could also be much less explicit about color if the product continues to satisfy prime quality, diet and style requirements, she added. Briefly: shoppers right now could also be extra open to lack of color in merchandise.
“That is seen in Danone’s newest removing of FD&C licensed colors from Gentle + Match Key Lime Greek yogurt,” she added. “To make sure client expertise remained excessive, we carried out deep testing and analysis and found client notion of this explicit product was not impacted by the removing of the color.”
What’s subsequent in purposeful F&B?
So what’s subsequent for purposeful meals? Based on Leigh, fibre will proceed to rise as customers affiliate with an increasing number of well being advantages – however that’s not all.
“We consider the way forward for diet lies in understanding and harnessing the collective energy of biotics – prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics and synbiotics – for intestine well being and a wide range of different well being advantages,” Leigh stated.
“There may be additionally rising curiosity in prebiotic fibres and resistant starches that assist the microbiome and align with broader intestine well being narratives, particularly as shoppers turn out to be extra educated about intestine mind and whole-body connections.”
General, Leigh thinks that future development will probably come for fibre-fortified merchandise that emphasize ingredient high quality and transparency; use fibre sources that really feel pure or food-based, and ship a number of advantages directly.
