Excerpt: Consumer demand for quick, healthy food fuels $2.45 billion smoothie market

Smoothie sales increased 139 percent from 2002 and are projected to increase another 68 percent by 2010.

More than 4,400 retail locations serve smoothies

Made-to-order smoothies—prepared on-site at smoothie bars, health clubs, even doughnut shops—account for 95% of total smoothie sales

Target customers are integrating health into their lifestyles

Smoothies are showing up everywhere …coffee houses, fast food outlets, airports, college campuses, grocery stores, fitness centers, fast-casual restaurants, frozen yogurt stores, etc.

By providing add-in powdered supplements-boosts, smoothie retailers attract the growing ranks of consumers who perceive that they have specific “functional” needs ranging from enhancing their immune system to getting a quick energy boost.

FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGES

In 2007, the functional beverage market (including smoothies) reached $9.8 billion

Around one in three consumers who purchase functional drinks do so for the health benefits that functional beverages promise like heart heath, heightened immunity, digestive benefits and weight management

Sales of energy drinks rose 600% during 2002-2007

Sales of energy drinks are forecast to rise 284% during 2007-2012

Getting good nutrition is the top reason for drinking functional beverages

Coffee based blended beverages can become functional beverages by adding powdered supplement-boosts

Supplement-boosts are also known as “boosters,” “enhancers,” “chargers,” “shots”

Source:  http://www.juicesolutions.com/index-4.html

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Excerpt:

Dan Titus, director of The Juice and Smoothie Association (JASA), pontificates about smoothies and the $2.5 billion dollar juice bar industry:

Source:  http://www.juicegallery.com/content/index.cfm?page=pr

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Excerpt:

Trends for 2009

1. SUPER FRUITS:

Acai, goji, pomegranate, and more and in many new places. Some examples of products:

Acai Powder - sprinkle on anything!

Zola juice - acai blueberry

Supplement - Real Food women's daily nutrition - multi with real fruits

Alba Acai Facial scrub

Crofters Superfruit Jams

Queen Helene pomegranate scrub

2. PRO/PREBIOTICS:

Cascade Fresh Activ8 Bar - blueberry acai (many crossovers in the trends like Probiotics w/super fruits!).

GoodBelly probiotic fruit drink and multivitamin - sort of like a juice shot but comes in a little yogurt like container.

Gluten Free Cafe frozen meals with prebiotics.

PreBhealth supplement - prebiotic for healthy bowel movements.

Nancy's Kefir - lowfat cultured milk - a probiotic beverage.

PHD probiotic health daily water.

Source:  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/09/earlyshow/health/main4853413.shtml

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Excerpt:

Health is a key driver for sales of food bars, which look set for an annual increase of around 9.9 percent over the next five years, according to new market research from Packaged Facts.

The division of MarketResearch.com predicts that retail sales will reach $5.1 billion by 2010.

The market is divided into four product groups: granola bars, nutritional/intrinsic health value bars, breakfast/cereal/snack bars, and rice snack squares.

Across all these groups most marketing and promotional activities have centered around two factors: health and convenience.

Source:  http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Consumer-Trends/Health-is-key-to-growing-food-bar-market