Tetra Pak optimistic about 100% juice sales

Product innovation and growth in developing markets are key factors indicating future growth prospects for 100% juice, according to a Tetra Pak report.

The Tetra Pak 100% Juice Index reports that the combination of emerging growth hotspots and slowing decline in established markets is stabilising 100% juice and bringing it back to growth, despite global economic slowdown and the debate around sugar.

The report highlights that 100% juice remains a significant part of the average consumer diet, with more than 40% of people drinking it every day, and consumers indicating they are willing to pay a premium for juices they associate with healthy choices.

Growth is tipped to come from products that meet consumer needs focused on health and out-of-home consumption — trends that are particularly strong with influential millennials.

The industry has responded with innovation in three key areas:

Vegetable nutrition: Vegetable blends, where vegetables and fruit are combined, lowering the natural sugar content and adding health benefits, are now the fourth most popular 100% juice flavour globally. New product launches using vegetables as an ingredient tripled in 2015 compared with 2012.

All natural: Over the last six years, not from concentrate (NFC) juice has gained market share compared with reconstituted products, rising from 25% in 2009 to almost 30% in 2015. New launches for products that make ‘all natural’ claims have seen a compound annual growth rate of 25% between 2012 and 2015 — especially those with no additives and/or preservatives.

Specialty 100% juice: More than 60% of consumers globally say they are interested in products with proven health benefits. As well as adding vegetables into the mix, producers are increasingly offering ‘fortified with’ or ‘vitamin-enriched’ 100% juice. In 2015, fortified products with functional health benefits in immunity, heart health, digestion, bone health, brain health and beauty made up two-thirds of new product launches.

The Tetra Pak report also highlights potential for 100% juice in emerging markets, with significant growth already taking place in China and Brazil, and other hotspots in countries such as Malaysia, India and Indonesia.

The Tetra Pak 100% Juice Index report is based on market insights through the company’s partnership with customers around the globe, as well as research findings from 7000 consumers in seven countries.