The sauce of all things functional

Functional this, functional that - if there's one buzzword constantly circulating around our industry, it's functionality. And in many ways, that's because almost anything nowadays can be made functional. So much so that it feels like we're entering an era where brands are turning to everyday kitchen cupboard staples and familiar grocery aisle products as new avenues for innovation.

Rather than creating novel formats or propositions that feel like supplements, brands are functionising kitchen essentials. In many ways, it's a reimagination of the familiar, signalling a shift towards the normalisation of functionality. And one route to achieving this? Sauces and condiments.

We’ve previously shone a light on She's The Sauce ’s functional sauce range that packs prebiotic fibre and protein into a condiment, but makes it well…sexy. Typically sauce is the finishing touch to a meal, but brands like this are turning it into the main event. Simply put, the brand reimagines the “sauces you know and love” by boosting them with 4g of WPI and 2g of inulin fibre per 30ml serving. Featuring a lineup of Honey Mustard, Buffalo Sauce and previously Ranch, it’s the classic sauces you know and love now with a functional upgrade and packaged in classic American dinner packaging with an aesthetic that’s bold, and unequivocally unique.

And then there’s DRESSi which arguably followed in the footsteps of She's The Sauce by functionalising condiments through the addition of WPI. Each serving packs 4g of protein alongside olive oil, to bring an additional nutritional boost to everything from salad bowls and wraps to sandwiches and burgers. But beyond function, the flavour line-up speaks for itself, featuring a Lemon Caesar [for all the Caesar salad lovers], Chipotle Lime [because who doesn't love chipotle?], Bang Bang [for those after a kick of heat] and Green Goddess [for a fresh take on functionality].

But it’s not all about protein, fibre is evolving into a hero proposition. Just take Saucified as a prime example, touted to be “the internet’s next favourite sauce” for health-conscious eaters. Its “bold, tangy buffalo sauce” packs 3g of prebiotic fibre alongside a blend of natural ingredients, bringing a gut-health-oriented narrative to a familiar condiment.

And it’s not just Saucified getting “saucified”...