2026
9
US Food and Drink Functional and Nutrition Claims: 2026
2026-06-02T16:01:39+00:00
REP2AB93418_8229_4E15_B934_1882291E1577
3695
193847
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Report
en_GB
As consumers continue to try to improve their health, functional benefits have become a major tool at their disposal. The shift towards functionality has been spearheaded by younger generations –…
US
Food
Drinks
simple

US Food and Drink Functional and Nutrition Claims: 2026

"Functional benefits and nutrition are more ingrained in modern consumption than ever, providing plenty of opportunities for brands to capitalize on a functional focus."

Jack Doggett, Food & Drink Analyst

Jack Doggett, Food & Drink Analyst

As consumers continue to try to improve their health, functional benefits have become a major tool at their disposal. The shift towards functionality has been spearheaded by younger generations – 98% of Gen Z have consumed either a functional food or drink product in the past six months – and their view of functionality is also impacting their view of overall health.

The healthfulness of a food and drink product is no longer solely judged on what a product isn’t including; there is now a focus on what is embedded in them to elevate function. Protein, fiber, and probiotics are major players as consumers seek to improve energy, digestion, and daily wellness performance. These benefits support both the average consumer’s health journey and those focused on weight-loss with GLP-1s, underscoring their versatility across a bevy of health goals.

New product releases have functionally elevated categories historically rooted in simple indulgence, especially redefining perceptions among young consumers. With such momentum from the young consumer and an acceleration in functional releases, added benefits and nutrition figure to continue to be central parts of the modern consumer’s diet.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Consumption patterns of functional food and drink products
  • Perceptions of functional ingredients and health
  • Health associations of popular food and drink products
  • Functional ingredient interest in food and drink products
  • Generational approaches to functional nutrition
  • The role of GLP-1s in functional nutrition
Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for functional and nutrition claims in food and drink
    • Opportunities
    • Help online credibility lead to purchase for young consumers
    • Graph 1: agreement with credibility statements surrounding healthy food/drink, by generation, 2026
    • Support parents by providing an extra boost
    • Bring in Boomers with traditional and supportive cues
    • Graph 2: agreement with functional benefit statements, Baby Boomers, 2026
  2. THE MARKET

    • Market context
    • Functional launches continue to grow across food and drink
    • Graph 3: % of new food and drink product launches with functional claims, 2023-25
    • Digestive health has been a big winner
    • Graph 4: % of new functional food and drink product launches, by functional claim, 2023-25
    • As the world continues to warm, hydration will stay top-of-mind
    • Graph 5: average national temperature, by year, 2000-2025
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • For the young consumer, functional additions can redefine health
    • Younger consumers indicate that functionality will be a core part of the modern diet
    • Graph 6: past six month consumption of functional food and drink products, by generation, 2026
    • The more benefits, the merrier
    • Graph 7: agreement with functional food and drink statements, by generation, 2026
    • Ideas around healthfulness are more often conditional than base-specific
    • Graph 8: health associations of popular food/drink products, % that say healthy, by generation group, 2026
    • For Gen Z, wellness and functionality go hand-in-hand
    • Graph 9: most important factors when selecting a product to manage health and wellness, Gen Z, % in top 3, 2026
    • Young consumers need to be the main target in drink innovation
    • Graph 10: ingredient interest in drink products, by generation, 2026
    • Center drink benefits in action and outcome
    • The beverage world is changing
    • Benefit interest is growing in drinks
    • Graph 11: ingredient interest in drink products, 2025-26
    • Beverages seen as activators, foods looked to for inherent nutrition
    • Graph 12: ingredient interest in certain food/drink products, 2026
    • In the case of popular nutrients, lead with outcome
    • Graph 13: select ingredient interest in certain food/drink products, 2026
    • Target GLP-1 users with muscle, energy, and digestive outcomes
    • GLP-1 Usage in the US: By the numbers
    • GLP-1 users are focal points of functionality…
    • … but tend to reach more for functional food than drink
    • Graph 14: past six month consumption of functional food and drink products, total and GLP-1 status, 2026
    • Protein, fiber, and energy should be the focus
    • Graph 15: factors that contribute to the healthfulness of a food/drink product, % in top three, total and GLP-1 status, 2026
    • Graph 16: ideal benefits in a healthy food/drink product, % in top three, total and GLP-1 status, 2026
    • GLP-1 users want more out of their beverages
    • Graph 17: ingredient interest in drink products, total and GLP-1 status, 2026
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Drinks are seeing the most year-over-year change
    • Graph 18: % change in new food/drink launches with functional claims, by category, 2026
    • Soda is trying to up its health game
    • Focusing on function
    • Made for parents
    • Lifeway goes all-in on benefit stacking
    • Snacks to relax
    • Traditional meals are leveling up too
  5. APPENDIX

    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology – US
    • US generation groups
    • Abbreviations

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