Finding the Goods in Functional Foods
In 1992, the U.S. market for functional foods was nearly nonexistent. According to Nutrition Business Journal, retail sales now top $10 billion yearly. Some who follow the industry are predicting an annual growth rate of eight to ten percent for the next five years. With the abundance of functional foods appearing daily on store shelves everywhere, it is difficult to determine exactly what to put in your mouth if you are looking to get added nutrients in the foods you consume. Foods that are enhanced to provide health benefits are not new by any means. Everyone is familiar with vitamin D milk and enriched flour; classic foods that are considered good for you with ingredients added to further benefit the consumer. The intention of such foods is on target; the confusion begins when products traditionally known as junk food are combined with functional ingredients such as gummi bears, tortilla chips and chewing gum. So, how do consumers know what they should be eating? Go back to the basics. Start with a food that by itself is good for you; it’s much easier to get the added benefits when the product has nutritional value to begin with. Then, determine if the added nutrients provide something that may be lacking in your diet. Some manufacturers are making it easier on consumers. "More and more mainstream shoppers are interested in the health benefits of vitamins, minerals and herbs, but are intimidated by the aisles of choices in health food stores," said Bruce Langer of Langers Juice, which produces a line of 100% juices with added nutritional helpers. "We gave them something new in a familiar form, that could be found where they regularly shop for groceries." The Langer family has been producing juice since 1960, when Nathan Langer first began pressing fresh carrot juice. Thirty years later, the company has grown into a major competitor in the juice industry, without losing the family touch. Every batch of juice is taste tested, and every added ingredient is selected to fill a need. The current line of Langer 100 juices consists of eight flavors; all one hundred percent juice without added sugar, artificial sweeteners, color or preservatives. Cranberry 100 and Ruby Red 100 were the first to contain added ingredients; both juices provide 100% Daily Value for vitamin C and contain bone-building calcium. Cranberry 100 also has essential antioxidant A and E vitamins, while Ruby Red 100 features the B family of nutrients and added iron. All of the additions are ingredients familiar to consumers, ones that medical professionals have been touting the benefits of for years. Choosing basic, well-known additions for the first new juices combined with the years of consumer trust that backed the brand ensured a successful venture into foods with function. The rapid acceptance of the "100" line quickly led to the development of more varieties, including ColdBuster 100, which was introduced in the fall of 1998. The orange juice blend gave consumers a way to get zinc and echinacea along with vitamins A and C in a form that was easy to swallow, without the bitter aftertaste. At the same time, it promoted the consumption of liquids to prevent dehydration due to illness. Newer ventures have included utilizing popular ingredients such as grape seed extract, ginkgo biloba, co-enzyme Q-10 and potassium. New flavors include Raspberry Cranberry, Purple and White Grape, Prune, Cranberry Grape and Kiwi Strawberry.