Fortification for optimal health – product development guide

Today’s wellness-minded, label-reading shoppers seek out fortified products—more commonly called functional foods and beverages—to optimize their health. Although many of these consumers also eat square meals made with nutritious whole foods, they also want nutrient-dense, clean-label functional foods and beverages in convenient formats to support their active lifestyles. By grabbing a midafternoon nutrition bar fortified with hemp seeds, for example, they’ll score ample minerals, amino acids and omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. Similarly, by snacking on crackers fortified with organic beet root and kale ingredients, they’ll get a range of antioxidants.

Along with its many benefits for consumers, fortification can be a boon for brand owners, too. By enhancing recipes with high-quality nutrients and other functional ingredients, they can create truly differentiated products and gain a competitive edge in a crowded marketplace. And with a vast array of versatile clean-label ingredients to choose from, the opportunities to innovate are endless.