Consumers View Food as Medicine in Search for Better Health
An aging population and increases in chronic disease drive growing demand for functional ingredients.
A multitude of challenges exist side-by-side with a multitude of opportunities for the next generation of functional ingredients, noted Micaela Hayes, PhD, innovation analyst with RTI Innovations Advisors, speaking at a Tuesday IFT FIRST forum addressing the role of food science in public health and nutrition policy.
Consumers are demanding more and more of their food, viewing it as medicine and desiring benefits outside of just traditional nutrition. They want food to help them be proactive in m…
Manual Feature
Latest News
Revisiting GRAS: Getting FDA’s Post-Market Review Right
Five priorities to strengthen how FDA evaluates food additives already on the market.
Nutrition Gets Personal
In this column, the authors explore how genetics, multi-omics tools, wearables, and AI are advancing precision nutrition and predicting individual dietary responses.
That’s the (Zero-Proof) Spirit
A visually oriented overview of low- and zero-proof spirits flavor, and ingredient trends.
Targeting Older Consumers
Older adults, numbering 124.4 million in 2025, represent an important and potentially untapped market for food and beverage companies.
What Consumers Want in 2026
Worn down by inflation and uncertain economic conditions, food and beverage shoppers want products that deliver tangible benefits per dollar.