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."
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
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
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
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
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
APPENDIX
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology – US
US generation groups
Abbreviations
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