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https://www.nutritionintegrated.com/knowledge-hub/creatine-flavour-is-doing-more-work-than-ever
When it comes to creatine, products have predominantly lived in the unflavoured space. But as the category evolves, so too is creatine flavour innovation.
Take Star Nutrition’s Creatine Monohydrate powder. Initially offering vanilla pear, strawberry, and apple elderflower, it’s now also available in green apple, tropical and citrus elderflower.
Although it’s the refreshingly fruity options that are dominating the creatine flavour landscape, there are curveballs.
GAINS Caramel Apple Instantized Creatine was a limited edition tied to Halloween that demonstrates how brands can also explore familiar dessert-inspired flavours. That said, stock is still available in January so maybe the demand for richer recipes isn’t quite there.
Innovation in creatine doesn’t have to be functional alone: flavour can evolve the category. Whether it’s seasonal or a bold new flavour that’s here to stay, venturing into uncharted flavour territories signals that even the most functional of ingredients can be exciting.
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Creatine protein bars: early indications from the market
One of the most compelling directions we’re seeing creatine take is its infusion into protein bars.
Ultra-pure creatine gummies and the rise of proof
The popularity of creatine gummies – and the headlines they’ve generated at times – means we’re seeing a counter-trend: increased emphasis on purity, testing and validation. Branded creatine ingredients and clinical language are becoming more prominent as brands look to reassure consumers navigating unfamiliar formats.
The evolving role of whey
We know whey protein dominates sports nutrition. It’s a staple across the protein powders market and has a strong role in bars and ready-to-drink products. But as protein proliferates into more formats, is whey still the protein source of choice?
Protein cereal pricing strategy
Protein cereal has become both a supermarket shelf and an Instagram breakfast staple. So we examine how pricing differs between the specialist protein cereal brands and supermarket offerings.
Beyond the bar: formats redefining functional foods
From cereal and ice cream to meals and unexpected collaborations, we take a look at four standout examples that are reshaping what functional food can be.
Clear protein: what the market is telling us (and why it matters)
The clear protein category has been one to watch over the last couple of years. Since reporting that the market had more than doubled between January 2022 and January 2024, we’ve continued to track its evolution.
The retailer response to GLP-1
As the GLP-1 landscape continues to skyrocket, we’re seeing more and more companion products emerging to meet the needs of consumers using GLP-1. We spoke about this recently and how GPL-1 is influencing the nutrition industry; today we’re looking at a retailer’s response to it all.
The penetration of mushrooms
One data insight we were keen answer when reviewing the amount of activity in mushroom based innovation was which product categories use mushrooms most frequently.
Just how much protein is in ready-to-eat protein?
How does the amount of protein per serve differ across protein ready to eat (RTE) formats?
The use of actives and VMS ingredients across collagen formats
We wanted to understand how actives and vitamins and minerals (VMS) are used in collagen products, and how this differs between format — if at all — so we dived into our data to find out.
Roll call on protein cereals
Protein cereals are all the rage and every week seems to see a new option appear on our shelves. An important ingredient here is extruded protein crisps (whether soy, pea or whey), which give the crunchy and crispy texture we love. So let’s look at some of the brands using extruded protein in protein cereals.
Protein powder serving size - an FYI
We talk a lot about the price of protein (powder) per kilo, but another metric of importance is the price per serving. And to help navigate that — particularly in product development — you need to understand serving size.
Are flavours that important in gummies?
Of all the gummies across Europe and North America, 98% of products only contain one flavour. It seems that the flavours associated with gummies aren’t nearly as diverse as flavours we see in protein products. But why?
Protein RTM price changes
We regularly bring you pricing updates for protein RTMs, but what about how prices have been trending over the past year? We’ve analysed all protein RTM products sold on Amazon UK between May 2023 and April 2024 to better understand what’s been going on.
Gummies: a product round up
The gummies market was valued at USD 22.78bn in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 66.56bn by 20231. It comes as no surprise, then, that as the category grows, so too does the range of products within it. What's interesting to see though, is how many of these products are developing beyond the more traditional multivitamin format.
Specialised or diverse? A gummy brandscape breakdown
Do brands specialise in one gummy category or do they provide a diverse range of gummy products?
Collagen source comparisons: Europe vs North America
Do you know how collagen sources differ between Europe and North America? Let's take a look...
The use of branded actives in gummies
Active ingredients are the main components of a supplement - designed to cause a desired effect(s) on the body. Some supplements contain several actives to achieve multiple health benefits. Going one step further, companies also introduce branded actives to elevate a supplement's quality and price.
Protein prices bucking economic trend
Given the economic instability of recent years, we’ve been surprised to see prices across several protein powder categories drop in the last 12 months. While some of these decreases have only been slight, others have been more significant.
Superfoods: it's not a popularity contest (or is it?)
As consumer awareness around the importance of healthy lifestyle choices continues to rise, so too does the global superfood powder market, with some valuing it in the region of $7 billion. Superfood blends can be classified into four main categories: greens, reds, adaptogenic, and ‘other’. Within our ANIE database, we currently track nearly 1,000 superfood products across Europe and North America, giving us ample insight into the market.
Standing out in the clear protein market
As one of the newer protein compositions to enter the market, clear protein faces additional challenges when it comes to competing against the better-established protein categories. One of the ways we’re seeing clear protein products distinguish themselves from other protein supplements is by using specific key word descriptors.
Price differences in plant protein RTM in Europe
Did you know, in Europe, plant protein powders with multiple protein sources are about 30% more expensive than single-source plant protein powders?
Search trends reveal protein preferences
Google search terms can tell us much more than what keywords people are looking for; take a longer-term view for example and trends start to appear. To better understand the types of products consumers are looking for and whether this is changing, we’ve taken a look at the five year search trends for ‘protein powder’, ‘protein bar’ and ‘protein drink’.
Category at-a-glance: pre-workout RTMs
This month, we’re looking at pre-workout RTMs. We analysed 1,480 products from 680 brands across Europe and the US and Canada to find out the following…
Trend watch: upcycled ingredients
We all know sustainability is important, and it’s interesting to see the different ways that brands approach the issue. One thing we’re seeing more and more of is the use of upcycled ingredients.
How many flavours do gummies typically come in?
Across both Europe and North America, the majority of gummy products come in just one flavour. The question is - in a world where flavour reigns supreme, why are gummies keeping it simple?
Revealed: most popular collagen formats
As the interest in collagen continues to grow and brands become more established, we can see more easily which formats are firm favourites.