Functional foods in full force

The summer season sees an increase in demand for small packs and on-the-go consumption

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2024/5

Innovation outside, quality inside

Márton Vecsei
senior brand manager
HELL ENERGY

Márton Vecsei, head of soft drink brands at HELL ENERGY Magyarország:

“Both soft drink trends and seasonality are reflected in the functional drink category, making a dominant presence and continuous innovation by manufacturers essential. The category favours PET products in larger sizes”.

The SWISS Laboratory brand portfolio is really diverse, and consumers can choose between carbonated and non-carbonated products. SWISS Laboratory Multivitamin contains 1,000mg of vitamin C, plus 10 different added vitamins and Swiss herbs. From March 2024 shoppers can find the latest SWISS Laboratory product on store shelves, the SWISS Sour Cherry Zero soft drink. It is sugar- and preservative-free and has 3,250ml collagen content. In 2023 SWISS Laboratory products underwent a packaging renewal.

Strong in collagen

Judit Szabó
sales manager
R-Water

This year R-Water Kft. is renewing the packaging of its products, partly by necessity due to the deposit return system for beverage containers.

“We have also taken the opportunity to rethink the entire Absolute Live range, resulting in three new Mega Amino Mixes with a total amino acid content of 10,000mg, which is unique in the category. Plus we have added a new flavour to the Fat Burner and isotonic product lines. The packaging of the Pro+VEGI range will be completely revamped”,

informs sales manager Judit Szabó.

The composition of functional drinks is becoming richer: they contain not only vitamins but also minerals, collagen or plant extracts

Attila Kaszás
managing director
Viwa product Europa

Attila Kaszás, managing director of Viwa product Europa Kft. has noticed that functional drinks that contain not only vitamins but also other additional substances, such as minerals or collagen, are becoming increasingly popular.

“Since 2023, when we created the vitamin tea category, our sales have grown exponentially in both the domestic and the international markets. In April 2024 our latest product, Viwa BodyPro Collagen hit the shops, with vitamins, zinc and 3,000mg of collagen and only 10kcal per bottle”,

says Attila Kaszás.

Vitamin drinks for every occasion

Maspex Olympos Kft.’s Apenta+ 750ml non-carbonated functional drinks are fortified with a variety of vitamins, minerals and plant extracts.

Patrícia Peres
brand manager
Maspex Olympos

“Our Collagen drink is the most popular in this category, containing 3,000mg of collagen. Relax is available in blackcurrant-cranberry-hibiscus flavour combination and contains magnesium, B vitamins and lemongrass extract. Mango-lemon-green tea flavoured Fit is made with L-carnitine and vitamins C and B, so it is ideal for sports. Antiox is an acai-pomegranate flavour combination with zinc, selenium, and vitamins C and E”,

informs brand manager Patrícia Peres.

Anna Kisházi
marketig manager
Sió-Eckes

Anna Kisházi, marketing manager of Sió-Eckes Kft. adds that inflation has led to shoppers prioritising essential food purchases.

“This has had an influence on the volume sold: compared to 2022, both the juice market and the functional water market have declined in volume, while the market has grown in value. Categories with functional product benefits (shot and 100% juice) have grown more in value compared to the overall FJND market. The functional and flavoured water market produced a 13.28% growth in value terms in 2023”,

says Anna Kisházi.

Successful category expansion

Sió-Eckes rolled out the hohes C water in spring 2023, which was a milestone in the company’s life as it entered a new category. Antiox contributes to cell protection with vitamins C and E, and its exciting blackcurrant-mint flavour is great refreshment. Energy contains vitamins C, B and guarana and comes in an exotic orange-passion fruit flavour. The Immune variant contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system with vitamins C and D and has become a consumer favourite with its lime-ginger flavour combination. The hohes C SuperShots range was also extended last year, with the new Energy product. In March 2024 Topjoy launched new functional fruit drinks fortified with vitamins. The products are available in three flavours, with 20% fruit content.

Fortified products offer a quick and convenient way to maintain a healthy diet

Vilmos Várkonyi
group brand manager
Maspex Olympos

“The multivitamin flavour Immunity with vitamins A-E-C-B and the apple-peach flavour Vitality with vitamins B-C-D provide refreshment. The third product is Fitness, with 0% added sugar, in apple-pineapple-orange-lemon flavour combination, with vitamins C, B and magnesium to help hydrate”,

says Vilmos Várkonyi, group brand manager of Maspex Olympos Kft.

Based on fruit

János Hajdu
key account manager
Import-Trade Hungary Kft.

Import-Trade Hungary Kft. has successfully launched a number of plant-based brands in recent years, such as the Rio cold press vitamin shots of Slovakian manufacturer McCarter or the San Lucar smoothies from Austria. In 2024 the company put the Rio H2O functional drink of McCarter on the Hungarian market.

“The products are available in 400ml lightweight PET bottles. Rio H2O products can be bought in Lemon, Red Orange-Hibiscus and Grapefruit flavours. Ingredients include spring water, freshly squeezed juice and fruit pulp. All three products contain vitamins D3, C, B6 and B12, niacin, folic acid and pantothenic acid, and have a reduced, 40% sugar content”,

says key account manager János Hajdu.

The BioTechUSA group has five brands in total and their new product developments expand the classic range, targeting the consumer base they have built over the past decade. Recently the company has launched complex iron product Iron Professional and organic source chromium containing supplement Chromium Picolinate. Coming soon: One-A-Day Kids, which is a fruit-flavoured multivitamin tablet designed for children, plus a multilayer protein bar, filled with real chocolate – probably a real game-changer for BioTechUSA in the years to come, the experts predict.

More and more products are appearing on the shelves, the ingredients of which are selected on the basis of bioavailability as a very important factor

Expanding portfolio

Seprenyi Fanni
alapító, tulajdonos
Fannizero

Fanni Seprenyi, founder and owner of Fannizero Kft. reports that last year their quadruple-strength erythritol and stevia-based sweetener, fortified with glycine and myo-inositol, was extremely popular.

“Conscious consumers like to use a sweetener that has other benefits. Better products are available in the market and manufacturers are driven by a competitive spirit”,

explains Fanni Seprenyi.

Fannizero offers 8 types of cereal-free pasta, with which they won a Functional Award in 2023, while their sweetener was recognised with the Mentes-M Award.

Tamara Farkas-Kulcsár
marketing manager
Bio-Fungi

Tamara Farkas-Kulcsár, marketing manager of Bio-Fungi Ltd. reminds us that mushrooms are a superfood: extremely healthy, low in calories but high in fibre and protein. Their vitamin B, C and D content isn’t negligible either, plus vitamin D isn’t damaged by cooking, so mushrooms are a good source of vitamins during the winter months.

“We focus strongly on expanding the product selection and on innovation in general. Accordingly, we are adding exotic mushroom varieties to the portfolio”,

says Tamara Farkas-Kulcsár.

Strong private label offering

Gyöngyvér Mezei
senior category manager
Rossmann Magyarország

Ferenc Zabán
assortment manager
dm

Dm sees a growing number of products on the shelves with ingredients selected with bioavailability in mind. A good example of this is Magnesium Bisglycinate.

Ferenc Zabán, assortment manager of dm Kft.:

“Dm’s own brand Mivolis is regularly launching new products. Basically we now offer our a private label in almost every sub-category”. //