Consumers are looking for foods and beverages that help them feel better, stay in shape, have more energy, support digestion and look after their long-term wellbeing. At the same time, many health-related messages are starting to look alike or compete for attention on the same product, with a counterproductive effect. Protein, fibre, gut health, energy, immunity, focus, sugar reduction and healthy ageing have become increasingly common themes on packaging, as well as across social media, websites, trade publications and sales materials.
Do consumers still believe health-related claims?
In the food sector, there is a useful paradox for producers, distributors, retailers and foodservice operators to consider. Demand for wellbeing is real and concrete, yet overcrowded communication can weaken the very products it is meant to support. The US market, which often anticipates or amplifies trends that later emerge globally, offers some useful points for reflection.
According to the "2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey", 40% of Americans look to their diet for energy or reduced fatigue, 40% for weight management, 37% for healthy ageing and 37% for digestive health. The data show that the link between food and health is now central to everyday choices.
At the same time, Mintel research reports that 47% of US adults feel overwhelmed by the range of functional beverages; among 18-24 year-olds, this rises to 56%.
In addition, 57% of consumers prefer beverages that avoid an overload of health or functional claims, a figure that reaches 64% among 18-24 year-olds.
These figures are highly significant. The market needs products with clear nutritional value, presented through more selective, understandable and credible messages. For food & beverage companies, communicating wellbeing means building a solid narrative that starts from a real need, explains the context and uses reliable data and references, so the product can be introduced as a coherent response.
Wellbeing starts from rational and emotional needs
The desire to eat better always has an emotional component. A person may choose a product with more protein because they want to feel more active, stay in shape, manage hunger during the day or improve their sports routine. They may look for fibre and digestion-related ingredients because they want to feel lighter. Over time, they may become interested in healthy ageing because they want to maintain vitality, independence and wellbeing.
Behind many purchasing choices are very concrete aspirations: energy, control, confidence, performance, physical appearance, social interaction and peace of mind. Effective communication should recognise these drivers without exploiting them aggressively. Fear of ageing, weight-related anxiety, concerns about appearance and social pressure are sensitive levers. If used excessively, they may attract attention in the short term, but can weaken brand perception, including in terms of ethics and trust.
The most balanced approach is to turn emotion into identification, then support it with a simple explanation. For example, a message built around a mid-day break can refer to rhythm, concentration, hunger and convenience. Only then does it need to explain that the product contains protein and fibre. In this way, the nutrient becomes part of a solution, rather than remaining an isolated slogan.
When consumers recognise a concrete need, they are more likely to pay attention to the nutritional explanation and understand why a specific food or beverage may support their wellbeing.
Protein, fibre and vitamin D: when data strengthens the narrative
The "2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey" confirms that many consumers are actively seeking certain nutrients. 70% of Americans say they are trying to increase their intake of protein, 64% their intake of fibre and 63% their intake of vitamin D. Protein also ranks first among the elements that define a healthy food, mentioned by 38% of respondents, ahead of freshness, low sugar content and nutrient content.
For companies, these figures provide a useful basis for deciding what to offer and how to communicate it. Protein and fibre become more effective communication drivers when they are linked to real consumption situations: breakfast, snacks, work breaks, sports activities, eating out, vending, travel retail, hospitality, healthy menus or wellbeing-focused assortments. The message becomes clearer when it explains which consumption moment the product is designed for and which need it meets.
A formula such as "high protein snack with fibre" is not very distinctive. A stronger approach could be: "Smart break: a more filling snack, with protein and fibre". The message remains simple, but it creates a clear sequence: situation, need, nutritional response.
Healthy ageing: communicating wellbeing over time
Healthy ageing is one of the most promising areas for the food industry, because it connects with needs shared by different consumer groups. It does not only concern senior consumers. It also speaks to people who want to stay active, preserve muscle mass, support energy, take care of digestion and choose foods perceived as more balanced.
In this area, wording is crucial. Direct references to "ageing" may feel distant or unattractive to many audiences. A more natural form of communication can focus on concepts such as vitality, active routines, daily wellbeing, strength, balance, lightness and self-care. The product is then associated with a positive idea of continuity, without moving into excessive promises.
For B2B, this approach is particularly useful. A distributor or buyer does not only need a list of ingredients. They need to understand the role the product can play in the catalogue, which category it can strengthen, which customer profile it can address and how it can be presented in retail or foodservice. From this perspective, communication becomes a sales support tool (sell-in), as well as a form of consumer marketing.
When promises become noise
The functional beverage market clearly illustrates the risk of saturation. Energy, hydration, protein and gut health are now established areas. Alongside them, new propositions are emerging around focus, productivity, menopause, brain health and other specific needs. Innovation creates opportunities, but it also increases perceived complexity.
When a product communicates too many benefits at once, the message can lose direction. Consumers may struggle to understand the main reason to choose that product. Professional buyers may also find it difficult to position it correctly. It is therefore useful to build a hierarchy: one leading benefit, a few supporting elements and a clear moment of use.
A beverage may be designed for an active break, daily hydration, digestion or a high-protein routine. Communicating all these ideas in the same space reduces the strength of the message. Selecting the main argument helps the product become more recognisable.
Ethics and accuracy: the line between wellbeing and excessive promises
Communicating health benefits also requires regulatory care. In Europe, for example, the EU Register of nutrition and health claims lists permitted claims, conditions of use, restrictions and prohibited practices. For producers, importers and distributors, this means that any health-related message must be verifiable and consistent with the product formulation.
Accuracy is not only a matter of compliance. It also concerns tone. A food product can contribute to more balanced habits, offer an interesting nutritional profile or help consumers make a more informed choice. It should not be presented as a quick solution to complex problems. A measured, clear and documented promise builds more trust than an overly ambitious message.
This is even more important in a context of information uncertainty. According to IFIC, 79% of Americans agree that it is difficult to know what to believe because nutrition information seems to change constantly or appears inconsistent from one source to another. This helps explain why many people look for simplicity, authority and consistency.
Social media, websites, food magazines and sales channels: how to adapt the narrative
Each channel should play a specific role in the communication of wellbeing in the food and beverage sector.
On social media, the main goal is to create identification. A recognisable situation works better than a long technical explanation: breakfast before a busy day, a snack during work, a break after physical activity, or the search for lightness while travelling.
Data or scientific information can be included briefly, using accessible language. IFIC reports that 50% of Americans encountered food and nutrition content on social media in the last year; among those who saw it, 64% say they trust it at least a little, while only 12% trust it a lot. This confirms that social media can stimulate interest, but should be connected to more solid sources and content.
While social media are suited to fast communication, the company website should provide depth. This is where FAQs, ingredient sheets, formulation explanations, nutritional information, usage suggestions, editorial content and downloadable materials can be developed. Packaging can remain clean, while QR codes and landing pages can guide those who want to learn more. Consumers increasingly go beyond the information on the pack, looking for other useful elements to help them choose what to eat and drink.
Specialised food publications play a different role. They can build the context: market data, consumption habits, channel evolution and the needs of buyers and distributors. In this space, the product is presented after explaining why that segment is relevant. The article then becomes useful for B2B communication as well, because it gives buyers a commercial story that is already structured.
In retail and foodservice, the narrative must become immediately operational. On shelf, messages need to be concise and easy to compare. In foodservice, what matters is performance, taste, ease of use for staff, menu integration and the perception of the final customer. A health-related promise gains value when it becomes part of an experience, a service or a consumption occasion.
More mature and selective communication
The communication of health benefits is therefore entering a more selective phase. The market continues to look for products linked to energy, digestion, weight management, healthy ageing and nutritional quality. At the same time, the need for less crowded and more credible messages is growing.
For food & beverage companies, the most effective path starts with a simple question: which real need does this product address? From there, a narrative can be built around emotion, evidence, clarity and responsibility. First the context, then the benefit, then the proof and finally the product.
In categories where new launches follow one another constantly, differentiation can come from the ability to explain things better. Well-structured communication helps consumers find their way, gives distributors stronger arguments and allows the product to move beyond the logic of the slogan.
Food wellbeing can be communicated with empathy, simplicity and rigour. This combination can become one of the most important factors in building trust.
