Latest trends in the micro-ecological market: Which products are experiencing continuous growth?

One of the key points in maintaining digestive health or gut health is ensuring the balance of all microorganisms living in the gut, more specifically, the balance of the gut microbiome. The microbiome plays a crucial role in providing nutrition to the body and maintaining overall health.

Currently, there is a growing interest in the microbiome, and people are increasingly paying attention to microbiome health in their daily lives. An ADM Outside Voice survey found that 58% of consumers worldwide believe there is a connection between the gut microbiome and other aspects of health. As consumers place more emphasis on personal health, they are seeking solutions and products to improve their gut microbiome to meet their health care needs.

Probiotics are the starting point for many consumers and shoppers because they can easily access these products in regular stores, and probiotics are well-known in the industry. Over the past three years, the popularity of probiotics has continued to grow, especially in the categories of vitamins, supplements, and refrigerated products.

In the VMS (Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements) category, probiotic revenue exceeded $1 billion year-on-year; in the refrigerated category, probiotic product revenue has surpassed $6.4 billion. The growth in this area is predictable due to traditional probiotic supplements and natural probiotics found in dairy products like yogurt, but other categories are also integrating these microorganisms in unexpected ways and achieving overwhelming success.

Adding functional ingredients to beverages has become one of the hottest trends in the traditional and natural products industry, leading to the emergence of probiotic soda. Over the past three years, the consumption of probiotic soda has significantly increased, achieving $4.6 million in revenue and a 41.8% growth rate. Many consumers have been purchasing these fizzy mixtures as alternatives to kombucha, as the flavors can rival their favorite traditional soda brands, including cola and cherry vanilla soda.

The idea of making snacks both delicious and healthy is not new, but with continuous innovation from brands, the types of ingredients added to these products are changing daily, and manufacturers are striving to find various ways to make the most popular snacks nutritious.

In probiotic snacks, cookies and crisps are growing product categories, with a revenue growth rate of 20.1%, reaching $2.4 million. In addition to probiotics, these products also possess other attributes that consumers are looking for, such as being grain-free or keto-friendly.

Naturally probiotic-rich products have also piqued consumer interest. For example, as consumers broaden their palates and begin to try more exotic flavors, actively seeking products containing natural probiotics, the total revenue of pickles has grown by 19.8%, reaching $42.4 million. Sauerkraut is another fermented food choice for consumers, growing by 88%, with revenue reaching $55.56 million.

As gut health continues to be central to maintaining health, consumers are attracted to products centered around the gut microbiome, incorporating new microbial strains with targeted attributes (including digestion, sleep quality, emotional balance, etc.) into products, which can further enhance the functional attributes of the products.

Although prebiotics are not a new category of ingredients, they have only recently begun to receive attention similar to their counterpart 'probiotics.' Prebiotics have become very popular in the pet supplies channel, with a revenue growth rate of 6.5%, reaching $1.58 billion, particularly in pet food, showing significant growth. This aligns with the trend of consumers wanting to provide their pets with more palatable, high-quality products.

Similar to probiotic soda, the prebiotic soda market is also thriving. The growth rate of prebiotic soda is 233%, with revenue reaching $7.99 million. Snacks are also a popular market for prebiotics, with granola instant oats and snack bars experiencing the fastest growth at 15.8%, with revenue reaching $544.2 million. Consumers are looking for a simple way to incorporate functional ingredients into their daily needs while replacing less healthy products with health-focused options.

In terms of ingredients, while probiotics and prebiotics each have their benefits, they work best when combined, which is why consumers expect to see more synbiotics—combinations of probiotics, prebiotics,and postbiotics.These multifunctional combinations truly align with today's consumer lifestyles and will help consumers more effectively address their health issues.

The consumption of products containing synbiotics has grown by 2.3%, with total revenue at $1.3 billion. The fastest-growing areas include frozen products (88%), refrigerated products (22.9%), and groceries (11%). While VMS remains an important area for these ingredients and is growing at a rate of 8%, consumers are still looking for products that can meet multiple needs.

While the idea of focusing on one's digestive health is not new, the number of people with such thoughts continues to grow in the post-pandemic era. Another factor driving the growth of digestive health products is the significant push from health-conscious millennials.

This generation has a proactive attitude towards health, willing to spend more time and money to stay healthy, whether researching the latest therapies or purchasing cutting-edge, multifunctional health products. The demands of these shoppers and their expectations for health and wellness products will continue to drive transformation and progress in the digestive health sector.

The gut microbiome is and will continue to be an important aspect of health and wellness. In recent years, as we enter the next frontier of the health industry, the gut microbiome has captured the attention of the scientific community and the public with exciting discoveries that may meet specific consumer needs. In 2023, we expect micro-ecological ingredients to remain popular, especially with growth outside the VMS sector.