Opinion written by Jonathan Warnock, CMO Beuhi
The confectionery industry is experiencing a revolution with the rise of functional confections. These innovative products offer health benefits beyond traditional sweets, catering to modern consumers’ desire for convenience, performance, and wellness.
The recent article “Now trending: Caffeinated candy”, cites that “data shows [that products featuring functional ingredients] is more than a passing fad, with market analysts Data Intelligence predicting the sector will hit almost $4 billion by 2031.” Caffeinated candies are just one example of this growing trend, providing an energy boost on the go, however, functional confections in general offer a wide variety of functional ingredients that aim to boost nutrition and improve wellness.
Exploring the Benefits of Functional Confections
But what exactly are functional confections? Functional confections are designed to provide specific health benefits, such as improved energy levels, enhanced cognitive function, and better mood. They are often fortified with vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds.
The top five functional foods in confectionery include:
- CAFFEINATED CANDIES: Offer a quick energy boost, making them popular among busy professionals and students.
- VITAMIN-INFUSED GUMMIES: Provide essential nutrients in a tasty format, appealing to health-conscious consumers.
- PROBIOTIC CHOCOLATES: Support digestive health and boost the immune system.
- CBD & THC-INFUSED TREATS: Known for their calming effects, these treats help manage stress and anxiety. The use of these treats have been amplified by the growing consumer trends showing cannabis consumption is viewed as a healthier substitution to alcohol.
- PROTEIN BARS: Serve as a convenient snack for fitness enthusiasts looking to boost their protein intake.
Driving Market Growth & Consumer Appeal
The demand for functional confections and the growth of the overall market is driven by several factors:
- CONVENIENCE: Easy to consume and carry.
- HEALTH BENEFITS: Provide added value beyond taste, such as improved energy levels, better digestion, and enhanced mood.
- APPEAL TO YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHICS: Innovative products attract younger consumers seeking healthier and functional food options.
Identified Challenges in the Functional Confections Market
Despite their popularity, functional confections face significant challenges:
- DOSAGE CONCERNS: Ensuring proper dosage of active ingredients is crucial to avoid potential health risks. Overconsumption, especially of caffeine, melatonin, and CBD, can lead to adverse effects like insomnia, anxiety, and increased heart rate.
- REGULATORY SCRUTINY: The industry is under scrutiny for marketing practices. Health agencies in the US have flagged concerns about misleading claims regarding health benefits and the safety of consuming high levels of certain active ingredients.
- CONSUMER AWARENESS: There is a need for better consumer education on the appropriate use and potential risks associated with functional confections.
Capitalizing on Current Trends & Future Prospects
As the market for functional confections evolves, there is an increased focus on innovation and regulation to ensure product safety and efficacy.
Future prospects include:
- STRICTER REGULATIONS: To ensure consumer safety, regulatory bodies may impose stricter industry guidelines on dosage and marketing claims.
- CONSUMER EDUCATION: Efforts to educate consumers on safe usage and potential risks will be crucial for the industry’s growth.
- PRODUCT INNOVATION: Continued innovation in product development will likely lead to new and exciting functional confections.
Overcoming the Challenges is Beuhi’s HUGE Opportunity
Chocolates, gummies, and candies enriched with functional ingredients… that sounds very familiar. Why? That’s exactly what Beuhi aims to bring to market.
Beuhi is a smart appliance that makes candy that the user can make functional. It’s that simple. Beuhi aims to tackle these industry challenges head on while providing consumers full control of what goes into and how they consume their functional creations.
The appliance is designed to create small, customized batches of candies that reflect the users’ personal tastes and lifestyle choices. When using the optional infusion technology, Beuhi users can choose preferred functional ingredients (ie. vitamins, probiotics, CBD, protein) to be added directly into the universal canister before the cooking process begins. The smart appliance automatically monitors mixing, timing, and precise incorporation of ingredients to create consistent batches with every use.
Concerns with dosages are addressed inside the companion app. The Beuhi app securely powers the smart appliance and guides the user on how much of the functional ingredient will be required to achieve the desired dose in each piece. Our process eliminates all the guesswork as all of the calculations based on the desired output are built into the app.
Functional confections represent a promising segment in the confectionery industry, offering convenience and health benefits. By balancing innovation with consumer safety, addressing dosage concerns and regulatory challenges of mass-produced products, Beuhi will be in the position to thrive and meet the evolving needs of health-conscious consumers with functional confections that are both safe and effective.
For more information, please visit the link at the top of the page. Our journey has just started, and your investment helps put us that much closer to our goal of bringing Beuhi to market.
