Another day, another food or drink product launch claiming to improve consumer gut health, cognitive function, energy levels or support our bodies in a way that extends beyond nutrition and hydration.
Even established brands like Coca-Cola, which launched a probiotic soda last year, are getting in on the act and building functional benefits into everyday formats, adding terms such as ‘protein, gut-friendly, prebiotic and collagen-rich’ to packaging to highlight their specific perks to shoppers.
Food and beverage has officially entered its functional era, and consumers are here for it: Fortune Business Insights currently values the global functional F&B market at $438bn and projects its growth to $983bn by 2034.
Once upon a time, a spoonful of castor oil was all that was needed to optimise health, but by the late ‘90s, supplements like cod liver oil, evening primrose oil and aloe vera juice – hyped as shortcuts to improved wellbeing – had consumers hooked.
Thirty years on, popping pills and downing shots (of the vitamin, mineral and other supplement kind) to boost wellness, has become habitual. Unsurprisingly, the global vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS) market was valued at $164bn last year [Fortune Business Insights].
Yet, while supplements designed to improve and enhance wellbeing have been widely adopted by consumers over the years, the question is will they still bother buying them if the food and drink they purchase on their usual grocery shop provides the same benefits?
The short answer is ‘yes’ as the consensus on all sides is that there is space – and need – for all.
‘Complementary rather than competitive’ is how Sunna van Kampen, founder of wellness brand Tonic Health, sees it.
Former banker Van Kampen has spent the last five years growing his brand – a range of functional supplements that includes vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, and electrolytes designed to support energy, immunity, sleep, focus and overall resilience – in retail. It has listings in major UK retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Boots and Superdrug.
The fact that functional F&B has moved into the mainstream and is no longer a ‘niche wellness trend’ is a positive in his view.
“Greater visibility of the category is helping normalise the idea of building health into daily routines, rather than treating it as something separate,” he says.
Consumer behavioural shifts
Patrick Young, managing director of research consultancy PRS in VIVO agrees, noting that the emergence of everyday categories like yoghurt, drinks, snacks confectionery carrying claims around protein, gut health, energy or cognitive support, reflects a broader behavioural shift among consumers.
“It’s the difference between ‘taking something’ and ‘living it’,” he says.
This shift won’t eliminate the need for supplements, however. Instead it ‘reframes them’ he says.
“Functional foods tend to operate at a lighter, more lifestyle-led level, they support general wellbeing and are easy to integrate into habits.
“Supplements, by contrast, still play a role where there is a need for precision, dosage, or targeted intervention, whether that’s addressing deficiencies, managing specific conditions, or achieving more measurable outcomes.”
There are already consumers who are adding functional F&B products to their baskets during the grocery shop, and then heading to more specialist retailers for supplements to fulfil the roles Young mentions.
Kieran Fisher, founder of sports nutrition brand Warrior, knows these consumers exist, because they are his customers. He notes how a typical Warrior customer will buy his ‘best-seller’ protein bar the Warrior Raw Bar (containing 20g of protein, 7g of fibre and prebiotics) to eat as a snack, then will order creatine powder to help build muscle and provide energy during a workout at the gym.
“Functional is fine if you want just want to feel well,” he says. “But most of our customers are in a growing group of people who we call self-optimisers.”
It is these consumers who are hitting the gym each day, watching what they eat and tracking their progress – who will continue to buy supplements to boost performance and help keep this market relevant.
But even those without a fitness regime are boosting the VMS market. In the UK, health and wellness retailer Holland Barrett reported 11% year-on-year revenue growth to £981m for the year ending September 2025, while in the US, its largest supplements retailer GNC, has outlined its growth plans after a financial restructure.
Food manufacturers are also showing confidence in the supplements space. Earlier this month, Unilever announced its intention to purchase US-based greens supplement brand Grüns.
Jostein Solheim of Unilever said the business saw ‘a significant opportunity to scale the brand’.
Supplements then, aren’t feeling threatened, but nevertheless, this market has clocked the competition and is trying to keep up, says Amie Stobie of AgencyUK.
Food vs supplement line blurring
“We’re already seeing many diversify into functional snacks, drinks and broader wellness propositions.”
The lines are blurring between the two categories, agrees Young.
“We’re seeing food adopt the language and cues of supplements, while supplements are borrowing from food in terms of format, flavour and brand positioning. Gummies, powders, fortified drinks and ‘snackable supplements’ are all examples of this convergence.”
If the boundaries are indistinct, what does the future of both the functional F&B and the VMS markets look like?
Young foresees the adoption of a ‘layered system’ where functional food and drink handles every day habitual health, while supplements serve more specific needs.
Stobie sees opportunities for VMS retailers to become integrated wellness destinations, where consumers can buy supplements and functional food and drink, and receive expert advice.
For supermarkets, who have less experience in this area than their specialist neighbours, she recommends a distributed model, signposting products with benefits in existing categories, rather than creating dedicated functional aisles.
Whether brands sit in the functional or VMS space, to be successful, they will need to be clear about what they provide. Fluffy terms such as ‘healthy’ or ‘better for you’ won’t cut it with savvy consumers, says Stobie.
“Consumers are wiser about their health and want clarity on how products address gut health, protein, hydration, mood, metabolic support and longevity,” she says, adding that growth in both areas will come with increased scrutiny, meaning brands will need to deliver authenticity and gain trust to compete in this emerging space.
“Retailers are likely to become more selective, prioritising the best products with clearer science, credible ingredients and benefits that are easy to understand,” she says.
“As the categories mature, the brands that will stand out are those that are transparent about what their products do and can genuinely deliver on that,” agrees van Kampen.
