Scouting the next ingredient trend to sprout up in new foods and drinks? The supplement market shows health-conscious consumers are learning more about botanical ingredients—and leaning toward them in new supplement purchases.

Consumers have been trying foods, ingredients, and substances that help them build immunity, prevent inflammation, aid their digestive health, and relieve stress and anxiety, according to NPD’s Health Aspirations and Behavioral Tracking Service, which continually tracks consumption habits linked to wellness goals and identifies long-term, mainstream trends. 

Last fall, the American Botanical Council (ABC) reported that annual herbal supplement sales grew past the $8 billion mark in 2017, effectively doubling since 2000.

Advances in ingredient technology are opening new corridors to make the addition of botanicals into foods and beverages easier and more cost-effective.

Each year around this time, food experts of all types publish their best guesses as to what culinary trends may hit the scene in the coming year. As trend-spotting is a combination of science and art, “trendologists” not only gather underlying data and insights from other credible sources, they also layer knowledge of food, flavor and cooking technique to arrive at more than just a list of the most “googled” foods of the year. 

Notable efforts at producing plant-derived meat substitutes and analogs abound. And sports and energy food and beverage designers tapped into the value of protein for active bodies years ago. Further, with a major shift under way to reduce reliance on meat as a primary daily source of protein, ingredient technologists are engaged in providing high-value, technologically advanced protein alternatives.