What Are Popular Functional Food Ingredients in 2021?

The global functional food ingredients market is anticipated to grow from USD 84.74 billion in 2020 to USD 93.09 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 9.9%. The market is anticipated to reach USD 125.65 billion in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.8%.

The main types of functional food ingredients are prebiotics and probiotics, carotenoids, dietary fiber fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. Carotenoids are fat-soluble pigments commonly found in flowers, fruits, plants, and photosynthetic bacteria. They are also present in some non-photosynthetic bacteria, molds and yeasts.

Growing demand for fortified food and beverage products is expected to boost the growth of the functional food ingredients market. Fortified foods are functional foods that lack nutrients and added nutrients to them. These foods increase nutrition and bring about health benefits.

With the improvement of public health awareness and the accelerated upgrade of healthy consumer demand, functional food ingredients that can increase added value to products have been further developed. Let us show the popular functional food ingredients in 2021 to you as following:

★ Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid)

Sodium hyaluronate, is also called as "hyaluronic acid". Hyaluronic acid is well known as a skin care ingredient and medical beauty product. In January 2021, sodium hyaluronate was approved as a new food raw material, and the scope of use was for ordinary foods such as beverages and chocolate. Therefore, in the first half of 2021, various sodium hyaluronate foods have become the big hit, attracting attention from food companies, consumers and other circles.

★ Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Gamma aminobutyric acid is a naturally occurring amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Neurotransmitters act as chemical messengers. Gamma aminobutyric acid is considered an inhibitory neurotransmitter because it blocks or inhibits certain brain signals and reduces the activity of the nervous system. In recent years, with the rise of the sleeping aid market, more and more gamma-aminobutyric acid-added foods are flooding into the market.

★ Fructus Phyllanthi

Fructus phyllanthi is the dried ripe fruit of Phyllanthus emblica Linn. Fructus phyllanthi, is the homologous substance of medicine and food. Its functions are described in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition) as below: clearing heat and cooling blood, digesting food and invigorating stomach, promoting fluid and relieving cough. It is used for blood heat and stasis, indigestion, abdominal distension, cough, sore throat, and dry mouth. At the beginning of 2021, with the launch of several popular beverages made of fructus phyllanthi as raw material by several brands, fructus phyllanthi has boosted from a niche fruit to a hot food and drug quality.

★ Mulberry Leaf Extract Powder

The Mulberry Leaf Extract Power is made from mulberry leaves through water extraction, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, concentration, spray drying and other processes. It is substantially equivalent to mulberry leaves. Mulberry leaf is the dried leaf of Morus alba L. Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition) describes its functions as below: dispersing wind-heat, clearing the lungs and moistening dryness, clearing the liver and improving eyesight. It is used for anemopyretic cold, dry cough due to lung heat, dizziness, and headache.