Growing interest seen in flavoured and functional water
The European market for flavoured and functional waters rose a further 5% to 3,600 million litres in 2008, according to the new Europe Flavoured and Functional Water Insights report from food and drinks consultancy Zenith International, which suggests global players in the sector could be in for a profitable few years as interest swells.
Flavoured water was again by far the largest segment, with 84% of the total. Functional waters were responsible for the remaining 16%, advancing their share by 1% since 2007.
“Increasing public awareness about the benefits of hydration and mounting concerns over calories in other soft drinks have led to extensive innovation in flavoured and functional waters over the past few years,” Zenith Market Intelligence Director Gary Roethenbaugh advised. “Scientific advances in tailoring functional ingredients to beverage-based applications have widened the opportunities for functional products.”
The report found that more mature markets could grow via repositioning, rebranding and higher marketing expenditure, while emerging markets could reap organic growth through new product launches. It also showed surging demand for waters with simple and clear messaging on functional consumer benefits in such areas as fitness and weight management waters.
