8 New Functional Food Innovations

Whether it’s burritos filled with probiotics or cricket flour chips, the latest functional food launches are reinventing familiar food types with new and unexpected ingredients. The products are inventive, delicious, and in many cases, surprising.Yet, even with unique products and a powerful message, standing out in the crowded functional foods market is no easy feat. Finding a niche can be key, but consumers may shy away from new and unfamiliar approaches to food. Fortunately, several companies that are pioneering new products in the category share their advice on reaching consumers.“The marketplace is teeming with so-called ‘better for you’ products that make a myriad of claims about their health benefits,” says Jesse Merrill, co-founder, Good Culture. “It’s no surprise that consumers (especially those without a degree in advanced food sciences) find it hard to figure out what’s real, what’s hype, and what it all means.”Good Culture’s strategy is to offer a variety of flavors, make the health benefits clear, and generally “create healthful products that are uncomplicated, taste great, and fill a void in the marketplace,” says Merrill.Avery Hairston, marketing chief at Banza, shares Merrill’s concerns about the overwhelming sea of information that today’s consumers are facing. He says the best way to stand out is “to connect with the consumer outside of the store, and invite them into the inner workings of our company.”Another kernel of wisdom is to “be disruptive, change the rules, and do what you are not supposed to do,” says Paul Frantellizzi, founder and CEO, Good Superfoods.But paving new ground can come with its own set of challenges. Just ask Dionne Laslo-Baker, founder and CEO of DeeBee’s SpecialTea Foods, who is convincing consumers to look for healthy functional products where they might not normally be found-in the frozen foods aisle.“People may avoid the frozen novelty section as they assume everything behind the freezer door is unhealthy,” says Laslo-Baker. “We want to bring customers to the freezer aisle from the tea, health and wellness, and other areas of the grocery store.”And for some new ingredients, like cricket flour, the obstacle may simply be getting customers to try something they aren’t used to.“At first people thought we were crazy for starting a food around something that many Americans are terrified of!” says Laura D’Asaro, cofounder, Chirps. “It’s a risky idea, but I love that every day we get to change people’s minds. Watching their expressions change from horror at the idea of eating insects to excitement about the idea is incredible.”Image from DeeBee's SpecialTea Foods