Consumers’ concern for nutrition is nothing new.
Nutrition and overall wellness shape many trends, but now consumers are asking even more of what goes on their plates.
Enter fermented foods and beverages.
They’re not new by any means—cultures around the world have been fermenting foods like kimchi in Korea and chutneys in India for generations.
Here’s what sets fermented food apart: bacteria or yeast are introduced to the foods to break sugars down into alcohols or acids. This introduces good bacteria into the food, which aids digestion, increases immunity, enhances brain health and can help maintain weight.
But as more people learn about the versatility—and nutritional punch—of fermented foods, the category is blossoming from niche to mainstream.
In fact, the market for functional foods, which largely consists of fermented foods, is predicted to reach about $2.5 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of about 6 percent from 2015 to 2020.*