The functional food and drinks market in the EU is expected to continue to grow over the next five years, but at a slowing rate, according to a report by market intelligence firm Key Note.The functional foods report revealed that the major issue in food and drink development and manufacturing remains health, boosted by the threat posed by the rising level of obesity. Yet the inclusion of several functional elements in food products has reportedly proved confusing to consumers and some products are... ...Read more »

Men’s Health has released a run-down of the 20 unhealthiest drinks currently available in America in their popular Eat This Not That section. The feature compares drinks across a variety of categories – including functional drinks, smart water, energy drinks, coffee, smoothies and shakes – to snackfoods with equivalent calories. Topping the list at number 1 is the Coldstone PB&C 24fl oz (just over 700ml) thickshake, which weighs in at 2010 calories – the entire recommended... ...Read more »

Once a niche market for serious exercisers, the appeal of ready to drink protein-enriched beverages has now expanded to water, juice and milk based variants plus an increasing number of smoothies, according to new research from drinks consultancy Zenith International.”Ready to drink protein beverages have benefited from a number of factors including technological advances and changes in lifestyle as well as improvements in the taste and texture of products,” Esther Renfrew, Dairy Market... ...Read more »

Straight fruit juice sold in supermarkets can be just as healthy than those which make health claims based on added extras such as herbal supplements or antioxidants, according to a report by consumer group Choice.Choice found juice promoting the likes of aloe vera, echinacea, ginkgo, ginseng, spirulina, barleygrass and wheatgrass did not contain enough of these extracts to be of any significant health benefit. Many of the products, which go by names such as Kickstart, Energy Lift and Green Recovery,... ...Read more »