Functional food industry predicted to outgrow rest of market

Every market and industry evolves and expands as technology and consumer demands change. The food and beverage industry is no exception to this behavior, according to the Washington Post.

The new sector of the food industry is “functional food.” This corner of the market consists of products whose food labels say it will reduce the risk of disease or increase health in some way or another. This sector also represents the fastest-growing category in the food industry as products that are pumped up with calcium, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamins or minerals make up roughly $20 to $30 billion in annual sales, said the source.

Furthermore, PriceWaterhouseCoopers predicts that sales in this corner will increase at an annual rate of 8.5 to 20 percent. The rest of the food industry is projected to grow by only 1 to 4 percent.

Companies have caught on to this trend as many grocery store aisles and retailer’s shelves are exploding with labels that claim a product will do one thing or another. But, some have broken rules set by the Food and Drug Administration as to what a company can and cannot say on their custom labels. One such business has been the fruit juice manufacturer POM Wonderful.

“Any consumer who sees POM Wonderful products as a silver bullet against disease has been misled,” said David Vladeck, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection in a press release. “When a company touts scientific research in its advertising, the research must squarely support the claims made. Contrary to POM Wonderful’s advertising, the available scientific information does not prove that POM Juice or POMx effectively treats or prevents these illnesses.”

Although listing the nutritional and health benefits of food and beverage products is almost a guarantee for increased sales, companies need to remain truthful in their claims. To create these custom labels that play toward a healthier brand, businesses should use a Primera LX900 color label printer.