New Nutrition Business

Welcome to New Nutrition Business

We are a service like no other, dedicated to the business of food, beverages and health. Since 1995 we have supplied the world's most innovative food and drink businesses with unrivalled insights and practical case studies. Our unique, high quality information enables hundreds of businesses to successfully refine and implement their strategies

We are led by internationally respected expert Julian Mellentin

NNB Strategy Insights - a regular information service
An annual forecast of key industry trends
Reports and case studies on specific sectors, technologies and ingredients, and companies
in-house presentations and
consultancy services

I regard NNB as a reliable, unbiased source of information. Also it is one of the very few publications which try to analyze and understand markets, not only report what has happened. Kalle Leporanta Valio Ltd

Recent Studies Stevia takes premium fruit juice to new level The rapid mass-market success of the Trop50 juice brand has made it the poster child for what suppliers of stevia – the natural sweetener that’s currently getting the most attention and promotion – hope stevia will be able to do for many more brands.

read more Lactose-free: seven steps to success in a category where you can ‘create a customer for life’ To create a successful brand, it helps to be able to target a large group of consumers who have a clear need for your product. But that large group is not essential.

read more Stevia’s sweet and premium-priced niche A lot of people in our industry are getting excited about the potential of stevia – the natural zero-calorie sweetener which is arguably the first of its kind.

read more Mouse clicks, social marketing and long shelf-life – the elements of successful direct-to-consumer business? Food and beverage companies around the world – from the largest to the smallest – are experimenting with new ways to reach consumers, to bypass supermarkets and keep more margin (see Micro-Trend 7 in NNB 10 Key Trends 2012).

read more Callebaut sets sights on cocoa claim breakthrough Chocolate processor Barry Callebaut has launched a bid to win European Union approval for a health claim linking cocoa extracts with cardiovascular health – and says it is “hopeful” it will succeed.

read more How Valio created the world’s biggest lactose-free brand There are few dairy companies that aren’t looking at the potential of the lactose-free market. But no dairy can yet boast of a success to match that of Valio’s Zero Lactose milk brand, now celebrating its 10th year on the market. It’s a case study that shows just what can be achieved in a market where the level of lactose-intolerance in the population at large is in double-digits. And the brand’s success, despite selling at super-premium prices, has opened the door for Valio’s technology in markets around the world.

read more Turning granola bars into a dairy snack Kraft, like many dairy companies, is keen to see dairy make more impact in snacking. Faced with the challenge of how to take dairy into the ambient nutrition bar shelf, Kraft’s response has been instead to take the snacks into the dairy aisle. It may not be as eccentric a move as it sounds – innovative merchandising has been the under-appreciated success factor behind many brands. If Kraft is successful then dairy companies around the world will jump on the idea.

read more Muesli with a mouse click Senior managements at most food and beverage companies dislike the idea of owning a portfolio of niche products, instead pushing their marketing and innovation teams to focus only on “big brand opportunities”.

read more Almonds exploit health halo and product innovation to drive growth at premium prices Ingredients blessed with a health halo still require hard work to leverage that halo into a successful market-place position. Almonds provide one of the best case studies of how to make a success out of a “naturally functional” ingredient. A focus on branding and merchandising – among other marketing skills – as well as unlimited innovation in product formats has helped almond-based snack brands sustain 10%-20% annual sales growth during the economic downturn, even while selling at premium prices.

read more Joint health market creaks to a stand still American baby boomers are getting older and more numerous – there are now 78 million of them, accounting for 26% of the US population. Their joints are growing creakier, yet the US market for beverages aimed at joint health has declined. One of the segment’s three major brands has stalled and another has been withdrawn.

Seniors and their need for healthy ageing is the most important market

In a 6-minute video interview at a recent industry conference on Healthy Ageing - held in Amsterdam and organised by Bridge2Food - Julian talked about a few of the key issues for anyone developing a product for seniors:

Feel the benefit
Taste and texture
How to make protein more convenient for the over-70s
And how to manage senior management's unrealistic expectations of quick success

As the pressure on healthcare systems builds, consumers will more and more be expected to take steps to manage and preseve their own health and independence.

And healthcare costs are not a problem in the distant future - the problem is here already. Healthcare budgets are being eaten up by the costs of caring for people over the age of 70 and who are in the last two years of their life:

In Brazil over 70% of healthcare costs are incurred in the 12 months before death
In the US acute hospital care accounts for 55% of spending on Medicare beneficiaries in the last two years of their life
In Europe healthcare in the last two years of life adds up to 80% of healthcare costs

For industry, the attractions of seniors include:

They are ideal for science-based companies because they want something that actually works and fixes a problem, not a vague promise of "wellness"
When they commit to a brand they become very loyal customers with repeat purchase rates of 80% and better - compared to 45% more the most successful brands targeting families and younger consumers
They are a low-volume, but high-value market, because they are willing to pay for products that actually deliver the benefits they need. They are at a life-stage where they prioritise their household budget around looking after their health.

Senior nutrition has become the key driver of innovation in the food and health market with consumers over 50 already making up the most important group of buyers for most health brands.

And that is how our market is likely to be for some years to come.

Julian

Industry Events