Lumina Intelligence Functional Foods Without the Hype: What Consumers Want
Functional foods are no longer a niche segment. Globally, four in five consumers now buy foods with added benefits, underlining how deeply functionality is embedded in everyday purchasing behaviour. However, rising adoption has not translated into blanket enthusiasm. As functional foods become more commonplace, consumer expectations are sharpening. The challenge for brands is no longer whether to add functionality, but which benefits genuinely matter, how they are communicated, and where they fit naturally within diets. Our latest nutrition data shows that added benefits drive purchase but only when they align with real health goals, cultural context and taste expectations. Why functional foods have become a core part of modern diets Health goals are increasingly shaping shopping behaviour. Across markets, consumers understand a healthy diet more in terms of what is added rather than what is restricted, signalling strong alignment with functional nutrition formats. Functional food...