As health awareness grows, around 30% of consumers are willing to pay more for foods with enhanced health benefits, driving market demand
Consumers are increasingly adopting healthier lifestyles and seeking products that offer enhanced nutrition, such as protein fortification and gut-health support, without sacrificing taste. This shift is driving rapid innovation in ready meals, snacks, dairy and beverage categories with prebiotics, protein and other functional ingredients being added to appeal to health-conscious consumers.
Recent market insights reveal that health and wellness are becoming top priorities for consumers, with approximately one in three global shoppers identifying health and wellbeing as a primary area of discretionary spending1.
Around 30% of consumers are willing to pay more for foods with enhanced health benefits2, presenting retailers and brands with an opportunity to expand their functional product lines. However, success depends on maintaining familiar taste, texture, and aroma to match consumer expectations. This is especially important as 85% of U.S. consumers prioritise taste over price and healthfulness in purchase decisions3.
With this in mind, Daria Pashkova, Product & Marketing Manager at Ohly, experts in taste improvement solutions, explains how prioritising health benefits can drive initial purchases, but taste is still key to repeat purchases and long-term loyalty.
The formulation challenge
Designing functional foods that offer health benefits without sacrificing flavour is challenging. Plant-based proteins, whey or collagen may deliver higher protein content, but they can lead to bitterness and off-flavours. Protein concentrates used in ready meals may also dull savoury flavours.
Fibre and mineral-enriched formulas may introduce dryness or metallic tastes, while sugar reduction solutions can leave strong off-notes. Achieving a clean label while maintaining taste requires more than adding or removing ingredients, necessitating a balanced and nuanced approach to flavour formulation.
Natural ingredients to optimise palatability
A proven, label-friendly way to round out and rebalance flavour profiles is yeast extract. Rich in naturally occurring amino acids and nucleotides, yeast extracts bring umami, enhance saltiness perception, and, critically for functional foods, help mask bitterness and other off-notes.
In practical applications, yeast extract can play a crucial role in enhancing the flavour profiles of functional foods across various categories. For high-protein ready meals and pasta pots, targeted yeast extract fractions can be used to restore the savoury depth that is often lost during protein fortification, while also improving the taste of sauces at reduced salt levels.
Additionally, in broths aimed at supporting gut health, yeast extract enhances the umami profile while maintaining clean, recognisable ingredient lists.
What wins in market tests
Successful functional food development relies on three key elements: a credible health benefit, clear labelling, and appealing taste. While protein remains a top consumer priority, repeat purchases depend on flavour. Teams should prioritise taste early in the development process to avoid costly reformulations. Start by defining sensory targets, then address nutrition, processing, and labelling requirements. Yeast extract is essential for elevating flavour, masking off-notes, and boosting savoury profiles, ensuring that functional food still delivers taste satisfaction.
Daria Pashkova, Product & Marketing Manager at Ohly says:
“As consumers increasingly prioritise health and wellness, there is a growing demand for functional foods that offer benefits like protein fortification and gut health support. While consumers are willing to pay more for these products, taste remains the primary factor in repeat purchases. The challenge lies in formulating functional foods that deliver nutritional benefits without compromising flavour.
“Yeast extract provides a natural solution, bringing umami taste and masking off-notes in high-protein, low-sugar, and other functional products. It plays a key role in improving flavour profiles, ensuring both nutritional value and consumer satisfaction.
“Ultimately, success in the functional food market depends on balancing health benefits, clear labelling, and excellent taste. Brands that focus on taste early in development, using natural ingredients like yeast extract, are more likely to build long-term consumer loyalty and market success.”
