One more on functional foods and a Gumtech mention
Copyright 1999 American Demographics, Inc.
American Demographics
February, 1999
SECTION: TOPLINES; Pg. 15
LENGTH: 926 words
HEADLINE: Functional Foods
BYLINE: Marcia Mogelonsky
BODY:
It used to be that food was food-eat healthy stuff and you'll live better. But who really has time to prepare those three squares -- or one pyramid -- a day? Food manufacturers are wising up to the fact that in this time-challenged era, Americans can use a quick and easy boost to their daily recommended dose of vitamins and minerals. What better way to aid them in that quest than to offer a line of easy-to-prepare products that do double duty? Enter the era of "functional foods."
Early iterations of the "food boost" trend were simple enough -- cereals fortified with an extra dose of vitamins or minerals; breads or juices with added calcium. Now, herbal supplements that were once relegated to the back corners of health food stores are becoming big business. How big? Enough for some of the major players in consumer packaged goods -- Kellogg, Campbell Soup, DuPont, ConAgra -- to stir up some new products, all monitored by the Federal Dietary Supplements, Health and Education Act, which regulates the types of health claims that can be attached to dietary supplements.
Early forays into the functional foods segment met with mixed success. Last year Campbell pulled a line of frozen entrees called Intelligent Cuisine. They were proven in clinical trials to lower blood sugar and cholesterol, but they didn't deliver the taste or variety consumers craved. Johnson & Johnson tried out Benecol, a margarine with stanol ester, a natural supplement supposed to lower cholesterol, but was denied permission to market the popular European product by the FDA, which demanded proof that the supplement was safe.
Undaunted, natural foods giant Hain Food Group is using natural herbal supplements to enhance a new line of soups, Hain Kitchen Prescription, which debuted at the Natural Products Expo East last year. The soups contain echinacea, an herb that is supposed to boost the immune system, and St. John's Wort, a supplement touted as the natural Prozac. And this month, Kellogg is launching a line of cholesterol-lowering foods called Ensemble. The line will include bread, cereal, frozen entrees, and desserts enhanced with psyllium, a natural fiber proven to lower dietary cholesterol.
While some medical doctors may question the effects of herbal supplements, echinacea, St. John's Wort, gingko, and ginseng, among others, are popular among consumers. "People aren't specifically aware of the term 'neutraceutical,'" says Linda Gilbert, president of Des Moines-based Health-Focus, Inc., which conducts a biannual survey of 2,074 primary grocery shoppers about health trends. "But they do know about specific supplements. For example, only 20 percent of those surveyed in 1998 had not heard about ginseng, and only 22 percent had no knowledge of gingko."
Robert's American Gourmet is also trying to satisfy Americans' urge for herbs with Personality Puffs, a snack enhanced with gingko biloba. And the Longevity Company is offering Happy and Healthy cookies, which are supplemented with gingko and St. John's Wort. There are even a host of gums on the market that industry reps are pitching as "serious delivery systems." GumTech International markets Brain Gum enhanced with phosphatidylserine, a nutrient the company claims increases mental acuity. Wrigley's Stay Alert gum works the old-fashioned way -- it's packed with caffeine. Want to calm down? Origins' Peace of Mind Gumballs contain soothing peppermint, basil, and eucalyptus.
What lies at the root of the enhanced food craze? "Consumers are becoming more interested in foods that deliver benefits beyond the basic ones . . . They are looking for simple ways to take control of their health," says Gilbert.
Findings from the Food Marketing Institute concur. In a 1998 survey conducted by FMI and Prevention magazine, 57 percent of consumers reported that they are more aware of the benefits of a good diet than they were 12 months previously. And nearly half of shoppers said that the desire to manage a specific health condition on their own affected their grocery purchasing decision.
"The focus is on foods that boost performance and prevent disease, but that is evolving toward a focus on wellness," adds Gilbert, who says the trend is yet another product of the aging baby boom. "The whole functional foods segment is driven by 40-to-50-year-old women, who are interested in taking care of themselves and their families," she says.
"It is true that people are taking more responsibility for their own health," agrees Joshua Isenberg, editor of Chicago-based "Food Channel," an industry newsletter and Web site. "And natural products that are enhanced with calcium or vitamins seem to be a good fit. But the FDA is scrutinizing various label claims very closely, so manufacturers have to be careful when they launch products with herbal supplements."
Still, the main thing that will affect the rise or fall of functional foods, says Isenberg, is a product's gustatory greatness, not it's herbal punch. For most consumers, no matter what the health claim, taste still rules.
FOOD FOLLOWS FUNCTION
2,005 adults were asked how much they have heard or read about "functional foods." Here are the results:
Male Female 18-29 30-39 40-49 50-64 65-70 71+
A lot 2% 6% 4% 4% 4% 7% 7% 7%
Some 19% 19% 14% 15% 16% 21% 28% 25%
A little 24% 23% 21% 19% 22% 24% 28% 28%
Nothing 55% 53% 62% 61% 58% 48% 37% 40%
Source: HealthFocus, November 1998 survey
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