In recent years the growth in beauty foods has been enormous, albeit from a small base, with market researcher Mintel estimating the number of beauty food launches to have grown by 306 percent in the period 2005 to 2008.
This figures contrasts sharply against the overall figure for the food and beverage category, where the number of new worldwide launches only increased by 35 percent during the same period.
Beauty food launches go from strength to strength
Indeed, Mintel says that so far in 2009 it has recorded a total of nearly 300 food and beverage product launches that claim to have beauty giving properties.
Leading the field in this category is Japan, which has had a clearly defined beauty category for more than ten years now.
Exemplifying the type of products that come out of the country is one of the latest launches on Mintel’s database, dried mango, pinapple, papaya and cranberries coated with collagen from Kracie Foods, a company that targets women in the 20 – 50 age group, looking to enhance their skin health.
US women coming round to the idea of beauty foods
But whereas these types of products are commonplace in Japan, women in western markets such as the US are still adapting to the idea of beauty foods, although research shows that the interest is definitely there.
“One in five US women between the ages of 18 and 25 are interested in trying beauty functional beverages,” said Taya Tomasello, senior beauty analayst at Mintel.
“These numbers really point to an opportunity with this new segment in the beauty industry,” Tomasello added.
Mintel champions the beauty foods cause
Mintel has been championing the cause of beauty foods for some time now and featured a booth platforming the industry’s latest offerings for this category at this year’s In-Cosmetics event in Munich, back in April.
The market research company will also be showcasing the newest product launches in the category at this week’s HBA show, where it will be teaming up with the event’s New Product Innovation Showcase.
Mintel will be showcasing these latest beauty foods at the Innovation Zone, during the course of the event which runs for three days, September 15 – 17, at the Jacob K Javitz Exhibition Center in Manhattan, New York City.