Emerging Trends in Functional Beverage Development
By Rachel Taylor, Director of Commercial Strategy - The National Food Lab
The functional beverage category is moving fast—and getting more complex by the day. As Director of Commercial Strategy for Eurofins Center of Excellence for Product Innovation, The National Food Lab, I have a front-row seat to the innovation happening across early-stage startups, established CPG brands, and ingredient suppliers who are all chasing the next big opportunity with beverage formulation. It's an exciting space, but one that requires thoughtful formulation, a solid grasp of technical feasibility, and a clear-eyed view of what it takes to succeed at scale. Here are a few key trends we're seeing shape the category right now.
Multi-Functional Beverages Are Becoming the Norm
Gone are the days when a single benefit was enough. Consumers are increasingly looking for functional beverages and wellness drinks that can address multiple health goals in one convenient format. We're seeing strong demand for beverages that combine energy, cognitive function, gut health, immune support, metabolic wellness, and stress management. From a beverage formulation perspective, this creates real challenges: combining multiple actives, ensuring ingredient compatibility, managing sensory impact, and maintaining label compliance. It's an area where we spend a lot of time helping our clients find the right balance between ambition and technical reality.
Natural Approaches to Metabolic Health
With the spotlight on GLP-1 medications and metabolic wellness, many brands are exploring natural ways to support appetite control, glucose management, and metabolic flexibility. Ingredients like berberine, chromium, soluble fibers, plant-based bioactives, and certain peptides are showing up in new formulations. While consumer interest is high, this category is still evolving. We are having more conversations with clients who want to approach this space credibly and responsibly.
Gut-Brain Axis and Mood Support
The connection between digestive health and emotional well-being continues to resonate. Prebiotics, postbiotics, adaptogens, nootropics, and botanicals aimed at stress resilience, focus, and mood support are appearing in more beverage launches. As research around the gut-brain axis evolves, this is an area where science-backed formulation will continue to separate credible players from hype.
Evolving Fermented and "Living" Formats
Kombucha paved the way, but today's consumers are interested in a wider variety of fermented and "living" beverages: functional sodas, probiotic shots, tonics, and even shelf-stable postbiotic formats. These products carry strong associations with digestive health and immune function. We’re helping clients think through shelf stability, sensory, and microbial viability as they explore these concepts.
Ingredient Delivery Technologies Are Unlocking New Possibilities
Advanced technologies like microencapsulation, emulsification, and novel delivery systems are making it possible to incorporate challenging ingredients that were previously difficult to formulate into beverages. The goal is better bioavailability, improved stability, and a better consumer experience—without sacrificing taste or shelf life. We’re seeing more brands lean into these technologies as they pursue ambitious functional claims.
Credibility, Compliance, and Consumer Trust
As the functional beverage space grows, so does regulatory scrutiny. Brands that invest early in substantiating claims, ensuring clean label transparency, and aligning with regulatory expectations are building long-term trust with consumers. It's not just about having a trendy ingredient—it's about delivering a product that can stand up to both consumer expectations and regulatory review.
At The National Food Lab, we sit at the intersection of formulation science, technical feasibility, and commercialization. Every day, we partner with brands navigating these trends, helping them turn exciting ideas into viable products that are both market-ready and technically sound. If you’re thinking about your next functional beverage innovation, these are exactly the kinds of challenges we love to help solve.
Interested in exploring how these trends could apply to your next innovation? Let’s start a conversation. Reach out today to see how we can support your formulation and commercialization journey.
Meet the Author
Rachel Taylor
Rachel Taylor is the Director of Commercial Strategy at The National Food Lab, where she helps brands navigate the complex journey from early-stage innovation to full-scale commercialization. With nearly a decade of experience in the food, beverage, and ingredient industry, Rachel brings a unique combination of scientific expertise and commercial strategy to her work with both established brands and emerging startups. Her background spans technical feasibility, complex formulation development, cross-functional program management and commercialization support, giving her a well-rounded perspective on what it takes to bring science-backed, market-ready products to life. She holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is deeply engaged in emerging functional ingredient science, regulatory strategy, and the rapidly evolving landscape of functional nutrition.
